Saturday Show Literary Podcasthttp://frankmarcopolos.com
Join author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos (rhymes with metropolis) as he documents his journey to publishing an indie novel. {Note: Older episodes of this podcast featured different formats, including the recording of a writing workshop.}Mon, 19 Feb 2018 21:22:17 +0000en-UShourly1https://i2.wp.com/frankmarcopolos.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cropped-Headshot07-27-14.jpg?fit=32%2C32Saturday Show Literary Podcasthttp://frankmarcopolos.com
3232Join author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos (rhymes with metropolis) as he documents his journey to publishing an indie novel. {Note: Older episodes of this podcast featured different formats, including the recording of a writing workshop.}Frank MarcopolosyesFrank Marcopolosfrankmarcopolos@gmail.comfrankmarcopolos@gmail.com (Frank Marcopolos)Frank Joseph MarcopolosWith Author and Voice-Over Guy Frank MarcopolosSaturday Show Literary Podcasthttp://frankmarcopolos.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/satshowlitpodcast.jpghttp://frankmarcopolos.com
frankmarcopolos@gmail.comJoin author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos (rhymes with metropolis) as he documents his journey to publishing an indie novel. {Note: Older episodes of this podcast featured different formats, including the recording of a writing workshop.}YesTV-MAAustin, TexasWeeklyhttp://frankmarcopolos.com76643174Saturday Show #155: The Terrible Old Man by H.P. Lovecraft (Performed by Frank Marcopolos)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4250
Mon, 19 Feb 2018 19:55:18 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4250http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4250#respondhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4250/feed0A performance of “The Terrible Old Man” by H.P. Lovecraft. Performed by Frank Marcopolos. Music provided by Boxcat Games under Creative Commons 0 License via FreeMusicArchive.org Socials: http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos http://instagram.com/frankzmarcopolos http://medium.com/@frankmarcopolos http://frankmarcopolos.com http://facebook.com/authorfrankmarcopolos http://patreon.com/frankmarcopolos http://youtube.com/brooklynfrank Buy books by Frank Marcopolos: https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Marcopolos/e/B005DMQW8OA performance of “The Terrible Old Man” by H.P. Lovecraft. Performed by Frank Marcopolos. Music provided by Boxcat Games under Creative Commons 0 License via FreeMusicArchive.org Socials: http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos http://instagram.FreeMusicArchive.org
Socials:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Marcopolos/e/B005DMQW8O]]>Frank Marcopolosyes18:1142502Saturday Show #154: Dagon by H.P. Lovecraft (Plus, Audiobooks on Vinyl)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4244
Sat, 27 Jan 2018 21:12:08 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4244http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4244#respondhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4244/feed0Saturday Show Literary Podcast #154, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the fact that audiobooks will now be coming out on vinyl and provides a performance of “Dagon” by horror-master H.P. Lovecraft. Socials: http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos http://instagram.com/frankzmarcopolos http://medium.com/@frankmarcopolos http://frankmarcopolos.com […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #154, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the fact that audiobooks will now be coming out on vinyl and provides a performance of “Dagon” by horror-master H.P. Lovecraft. Socials: http://twitter.
Socials:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

– Library Challenges Readers to Try E-Books and Audiobooks (Parispi.net)
Plus! Chapter 5 of Frank’s new novel, EAGLES AND HAWKS AND ALSO PEOPLE AS WELL.
Connect with Frank on Social Media:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

http://youtube.com/brooklynfrankhttp://patreon.com/frankmarcopolos
And pre-order EAGLES AND HAWKS BY BANGING THIS LINK RIGHT HERE.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes43:09418010Saturday Show #146: Chapter 4 (Plus, Audiobook News!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4176
Sat, 21 Oct 2017 23:09:07 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4176http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4176#respondhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4176/feed0Saturday Show Literary Podcast #146, in which author and voice-actor Frank Marcopolos discusses the latest news in Audiobooks and revelas Chapter 4 of his forthcoming novel, EAGLES AND HAWKS AND ALSO PEOPLE AS WELL. Connect with Frank on the social […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #146, in which author and voice-actor Frank Marcopolos discusses the latest news in Audiobooks and revelas Chapter 4 of his forthcoming novel, EAGLES AND HAWKS AND ALSO PEOPLE AS WELL. Connect with Frank on the social […]EAGLES AND HAWKS AND ALSO PEOPLE AS WELL.
Connect with Frank on the social medias thusly:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

http://patreon.com/frankmarcopolos
***
Pre-order EAGLES AND HAWKS AND ALSO PEOPLE AS WELL via this link.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes35:21417611Saturday Show #145: Chapter 3 (Plus, Audiobook News!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4170
Sun, 15 Oct 2017 22:49:23 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4170Saturday Show Literary Podcast #145, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos covers the “audiobook news” beat, including the release of a new edition of the Kindle Oasis. Also included is Chapter 3 of Frank’s forthcoming novel, EAGLES AND […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #145, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos covers the “audiobook news” beat, including the release of a new edition of the Kindle Oasis. Also included is Chapter 3 of Frank’s forthcoming novel, EAGLES AND […]EAGLES AND HAWKS AND ALSO PEOPLE AS WELL.
Connect with Frank on social media:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

http://medium.com/@frankmarcopolos
***Pre-order EAGLES AND HAWKS… via this very link! (It really helps.)]]>Frank Marcopolosyes28:06416413Saturday Show #143: Chapter 1 (Plus, Audiobook News, Armie Hammer, and the Best Audiobooks of 2017 So Far)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4156
Sun, 01 Oct 2017 20:47:22 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4156Saturday Show Literary Podcast #143, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the latest in audiobook news (including much love for the voice of Armie Hammer and a list of the best audiobooks so far in 2017), news […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #143, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the latest in audiobook news (including much love for the voice of Armie Hammer and a list of the best audiobooks so far in 2017), news […]
Connect with Frank on the social medias:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

___Pre-order EAGLES AND HAWKS AND ALSO PEOPLE AS WELL via this link]]>Frank Marcopolosyes40:56415614Saturday Show #142: The Apology of Socrates (Plus, a YouTube Community Strike, Audiobook News, and Pre-Sale News!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4141
Sun, 24 Sep 2017 21:06:26 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4141Saturday Show Literary Podcast #142, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses getting a community strike from YouTube (later reversed!), the latest in audiobook news, and the latest news with his forthcoming novel, EAGLES AND HAWKS AND ALSO […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #142, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses getting a community strike from YouTube (later reversed!), the latest in audiobook news, and the latest news with his forthcoming novel,EAGLES AND HAWKS AND ALSO PEOPLE AS WELL. In addition, a sample from his performance of Plato’s “The Apology of Socrates” is included.
Connect with Frank on the social medias here:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

http://medium.com/@frankmarcopoloshttp://frankmarcopolos.com
***
iTunes Link for the podcast: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/frankmarcopolos.com-where/id451038870
Podcast Feed URL: http://frankmarcopolos.com/feed/podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes49:30414115Saturday Show #141: Audiobook News (Plus, Portrait of a Lady by T.S. Eliot)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4123
Sat, 16 Sep 2017 20:34:58 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4123Saturday Show Literary Podcast #141, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses audiobook news, “Audiobooks and Chill,” the passing of the great Harry Dean Stanton, George Guidall (“The Undisputed King of Audiobooks”), the latest reviews of EAGLES AND […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #141, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses audiobook news, “Audiobooks and Chill,” the passing of the great Harry Dean Stanton, George Guidall (“The Undisputed King of Audiobooks”),
Music used herein:
Danse Macabre by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

http://frankmarcopolos.com]]>Frank Marcopolosyes31:40412316Saturday Show #140: Twin Peaks Finale Thoughts (Plus, Book News!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4119
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 19:05:30 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4119Saturday Show Literary Podcast #140, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the Season 3 finale of Twin Peaks, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Henri and The Art Spirit, a new cover design for his novel and the first […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #140, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the Season 3 finale of Twin Peaks, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Henri and The Art Spirit, a new cover design for his novel and the first […]Twin Peaks, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Henri and The Art Spirit, a new cover design for his novel and the first review of “Eagles and Hawks and Also People As Well.”
If you would like to read and review “Eagles and Hawks…” before it comes out, you can do so via this link: https://www.netgalley.com/widget/redeem/120443_64500_1503436550599c9f06f3d5a_9780986242861_US
Connect with Frank on the social medias here:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

http://vid.me/frankmarcopolosnarrates
Purchase a book or two to support the show and because you enjoy literary fiction:https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Marcopolos/e/B005DMQW8O]]>Frank Marcopolosyes27:26411917Saturday Show #139: Podcasting During a Hurricane (Plus, NetGalley News!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4115
Sat, 26 Aug 2017 17:15:05 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4115Saturday Show Literary Podcast #139, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the Twin Peaks thought of the day, and the NetGalley voting for his forthcoming novel, Eagles and Hawks and Also People As Well. Vote for the […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #139, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the Twin Peaks thought of the day, and the NetGalley voting for his forthcoming novel, Eagles and Hawks and Also People As Well. Vote for the […]Twin Peaks thought of the day, and the NetGalley voting for his forthcoming novel, Eagles and Hawks and Also People As Well.
Vote for the Eagles and Hawks cover here: https://www.netgalley.com/widget/redeem/120443_64500_1503436550599c9f06f3d5a_9780986242861_US
Connect with Frank on the social medias here:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

**
Support the show by buying a Frank Marcopolos Audiobook from this selection: http://www.audible.com/search?advsearchKeywords=frank+marcopolos
Or buy purchasing an ebook or paperback from this selection: https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Marcopolos/e/B005DMQW8O]]>Frank Marcopolosyes20:52411518Saturday Show #138: What’s Fascinating Frank?http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4108
Sat, 19 Aug 2017 20:27:18 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4108Saturday Show Literary Podcast #138, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses what is fascinating him these days. To wit: Twin Peaks Season 3, True Detective, Robert W. Chambers, The Yellow King, David Foster Wallace, Michael Pietsch, The […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #138, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses what is fascinating him these days. To wit: Twin Peaks Season 3, True Detective, Robert W. Chambers, The Yellow King, David Foster Wallace,Twin Peaks Season 3, True Detective, Robert W. Chambers, The Yellow King, David Foster Wallace, Michael Pietsch, The Pale King, the Harry Ransom Center, intertextuality, J.D. Salinger, and literary rabbit holes.
Connect with Frank on the social medias:http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

http://youtube.com/brooklynfrank
**
Buy one of Frank’s books via this link to his Amazon Author Page because you enjoy literary fiction.
Or just go directly to the page for INFINITE ENDING: TEN STORIES here.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes28:06410819Saturday Show #137: Twin Peaks, Farmersville, and a Title Revealhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4104
Sun, 06 Aug 2017 00:22:31 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4104Saturday Show Literary Podcast #137, in which author and voice-over guy discusses three (!!!) Twin Peaks thoughts of the day, Farmersville Texas, and an update on his forthcoming novel, including a title reveal. Music for this episode was provided by […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #137, in which author and voice-over guy discusses three (!!!) Twin Peaks thoughts of the day, Farmersville Texas, and an update on his forthcoming novel, including a title reveal. Music for this episode was provided by […]
Music for this episode was provided by the following licensing agreements:
Darkest Child A by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

http://frankmarcopolos.com
Purchase a book or two to support the show:Frank’s Amazon Author Page]]>Frank Marcopolosyes21:42410420Saturday Show #136: Audiobooks, Indie Novel Marketing, David Lynch, Twin Peaks, and Getting Pulled Over by the Cops While Jogginghttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4099
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 17:50:58 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4099Saturday Show Literary Podcast #136, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses Edward Hopper, Salvador Dali, Francis Bacon, David Lynch, Twin Peaks, getting pulled over by the cops while jogging in Brooklyn, audiobooks, and the marketing and professional […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #136, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses Edward Hopper, Salvador Dali, Francis Bacon, David Lynch, Twin Peaks, getting pulled over by the cops while jogging in Brooklyn, audiobooks,
Connect with Frank on social media (why not?):Twitter – http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

Home Base – http://frankmarcopolos.com
*****
Support the podcast by buying a book and writing a review on Amazon.com (It really helps!)Frank’s Amazon Author Page
******
Here is the iTunes link and the podcast feed itself:
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/frankmarcopolos.com-where/id451038870
Feed URL: http://frankmarcopolos.com/feed/podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes30:04409921Saturday Show #135: Questions About Cults (Plus, a book update!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4095
Sat, 22 Jul 2017 18:12:43 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4095Saturday Show Literary Podcast #135, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos asks some important questions about starting a cult. Plus, an update on the progress of publishing his independent novel. Connect with Frank on social: Twitter – http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #135, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos asks some important questions about starting a cult. Plus, an update on the progress of publishing his independent novel.
Connect with Frank on social:Twitter – http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

Home Base – http://frankmarcopolos.com
___
Buy a book or two. Why not? Click this link right here: https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Marcopolos/e/B005DMQW8O]]>Frank Marcopolosyes20:15409522Saturday Show #134: After a Second Developmental Edit (Plus, Inland Empire and David Lynch-The Art Life)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4091
Sat, 15 Jul 2017 23:21:36 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4091Saturday Show Literary Podcast #134, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses what happens after a second developmental edit, David Lynch’s movie Inland Empire (starring the incredible Laura Dern), a documentary about the life of David Lynch entitled […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #134, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses what happens after a second developmental edit, David Lynch’s movie Inland Empire (starring the incredible Laura Dern),
To connect with Frank on the social medias, please utilize the following linkages:Twitter – http://twitter.com/@frankmarcopolos

FrankMarcopolos.com – Home Base
_____
If you like literary fiction, you might enjoy Frank’s published works, most of which can be found via this link to Frank’s Amazon Author Page.
Here are the links to the iTunes location and the podcast feed:http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/frankmarcopolos.com-where/id451038870http://frankmarcopolos.com/feed/podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes31:43409123Saturday Show #133: Chapters 28-30 (Plus, Season 3 – Episode 8 of Twin Peaks: The Return)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4086
Sat, 01 Jul 2017 12:00:46 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4086In Saturday Show Literary Podcast #133, author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses chapters 28 through 30 of his work-in-progress, a novel. Also discussed are podcasting with a proper microphone, Season 3-Episode 8 of TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN, Twin Peaks […]In Saturday Show Literary Podcast #133, author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses chapters 28 through 30 of his work-in-progress, a novel. Also discussed are podcasting with a proper microphone, Season 3-Episode 8 of TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN,
Check out these YouTube Twin Peaks reviewers:Pete Peppers

___
Support this podcast by buying (and reviewing?) one or more of Frank’s books by clicking this link.
___
Here is the iTunes link for this podcast and its podcast feed:http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/frankmarcopolos.com-where/id451038870http://frankmarcopolos.com/feed/podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes21:11408624Saturday Show #132: Chapters 26 and 27 (Plus, The Secret History of Twin Peaks: A Novel by Mark Frost)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4079
Sun, 25 Jun 2017 00:14:38 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4079Saturday Show Literary Podcast #132, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses Chapters 26 and 27 of his work-in-progress, a novel. Also, The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost, Twin Peaks restaurants, an injury update, and […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #132, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses Chapters 26 and 27 of his work-in-progress, a novel. Also, The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost, Twin Peaks restaurants, an injury update, and […]The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost, Twin Peaks restaurants, an injury update, and other comedic ramblings.
Purchase The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost on Amazon via this (affiliate) link.
Follow Frank all over the social media landscape, as follows:Twitter – http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

And here is the iTunes link and podcast feed URL:http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/frankmarcopolos.com-where/id451038870http://frankmarcopolos.com/feed/podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes24:09407925Saturday Show #131: Chapters 24 and 25 (Plus, a Leg Injury!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4071
Sat, 17 Jun 2017 22:42:35 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4071Saturday Show Literary Podcast #131, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses chapters 24 and 25 of his work-in-progress, a novel, plus his latest injury (leg-oriented), gutting it out, running while crossing the street, intros and outtros for […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #131, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses chapters 24 and 25 of his work-in-progress, a novel, plus his latest injury (leg-oriented), gutting it out, running while crossing the street,
Like the “Marcopocast?” Hate it? Holler at Frank on the socials:Twitter – http://twitter.com/frankmarcopolos

Facebook Page – http://facebook.com/saturdayshowpodcast
***
Buy one of Frank’s books because you enjoy indie literary fiction or you just want to show Frank some quantified love:Frank’s Books on Amazon
***
If the player above does not work for you, here is a Soundcloud player:
And here is the iTunes link and podcast feed URL:http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/frankmarcopolos.com-where/id451038870http://frankmarcopolos.com/feed/podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes16:48407126Saturday Show #130: Chapters 22 and 23 (Plus, the Tomato Capital of the World!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4063
Sat, 10 Jun 2017 17:32:05 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4063Saturday Show Literary Podcast #130, wherein author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses Chapters 22 and 23 of his latest work-in-progress, a novel. Also discussed are the tomato capital of the world, the world’s biggest bowl of salsa, Gary Vaynerchuk, […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #130, wherein author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses Chapters 22 and 23 of his latest work-in-progress, a novel. Also discussed are the tomato capital of the world, the world’s biggest bowl of salsa,
Follow Frank all over the social media place:Twitter – @frankmarcopolos

Facebook Page – http://facebook.com/saturdayshowpodcast
***
Buy one of Frank’s books because you enjoy indie literary fiction:Frank’s Books on Amazon
***
If the player above does work for your configuration, here is a handy Soundcloud audio player:
And here is the iTunes link and podcast feed URL:http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/frankmarcopolos.com-where/id451038870http://frankmarcopolos.com/feed/podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes14:52406327Saturday Show #129: Chapters 20 and 21 (Plus, Twin Peaks, Westworld, and Silicon Valley)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4051
Mon, 22 May 2017 20:45:55 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4051Saturday Show Literary Podcast #129, wherein author and voiceover guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the ongoing progress of writing and publishing his current work-in-progress, a novel. Also briefly discussed are the Twin Peaks re-boot, the amazing HBO series Westworld, and the […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #129, wherein author and voiceover guy Frank Marcopolos discusses the ongoing progress of writing and publishing his current work-in-progress, a novel. Also briefly discussed are the Twin Peaks re-boot,
Connect with Frank all over the social media place:Twitter – @frankmarcopolos

The Best of The Whirligig: 39 Short Stories
***
Here is a SoundCloud player if the audio player above is not functional for you:
And here is the iTunes link if neither of those options works with your configuration:http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/frankmarcopolos.com-where/id451038870]]>Frank Marcopolosyes19:08405128Saturday Show #128: Chapters 16-19 (Plus, Facebook Ads and Austin Weirdness)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4046
Sun, 14 May 2017 20:00:56 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4046Saturday Show Literary Podcast #128, wherein author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos continues to discuss his latest work-in-progress, a novel. Other topics include disturbing social trends in Austin Texas, placing Facebook ads, Dwight Swain, Randy Ingermanson, and James Scott Bell. […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #128, wherein author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos continues to discuss his latest work-in-progress, a novel. Other topics include disturbing social trends in Austin Texas, placing Facebook ads, Dwight Swain,
Chat with Frank all over the social place: Twitter – @frankmarcopolos

Amazon.com – 5 Books, in Audio, Print, and E-Book
—
You should buy Infinite Ending because you enjoy literary short stories.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes16:14404629Saturday Show #127: Chapters 14 and 15http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4042
Sun, 30 Apr 2017 19:32:54 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4042Saturday Show Literary Podcast #127, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses Chapters 14 and 15 of his current work-in-progress, a novel. Also discussed are the motto of Seguin, Texas, travelling, hotels, and other marginalia. Connect with Frank […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #127, in which author and voice-over guy Frank Marcopolos discusses Chapters 14 and 15 of his current work-in-progress, a novel. Also discussed are the motto of Seguin, Texas, travelling, hotels, and other marginalia.
Connect with Frank on social media via the following:Twitter – @frankmarcopolos

FrankMarcopolos.com (Home base)
_____Buy Infinite Ending: Ten Stories because you agree with Kirkus Reviews, which says: “There’s plenty here that Updike and Cheever fans will like, even if they’ve never given postmodernism a second glance. A frequently effective collection of stories about people seeking to understand themselves and their predicaments.”]]>Frank Marcopolosyes11:47404230Saturday Show #126: Chapters 11 through 13 (Plus, Realistic Taxidermy and Free Bibles!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4033
Sat, 08 Apr 2017 20:30:46 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4033In this edition of Saturday Show Literary Podcast, Frank Marcopolos discusses chapters 11 through 13 of his work-in-progress, a novel. He also discusses his adventures while traveling on the Texas roads, including Realistic Taxidermy and Free Bibles. Connect with Frank […]In this edition of Saturday Show Literary Podcast, Frank Marcopolos discusses chapters 11 through 13 of his work-in-progress, a novel. He also discusses his adventures while traveling on the Texas roads, including Realistic Taxidermy and Free Bibles.
Connect with Frank Marcopolos on social media:Twitter – @frankmarcopolos

FrankMarcopolos.com
___
You should buy INFINITE ENDING because you enjoy literary fiction and short stories. ]]>Frank Marcopolosyes19:51403331Saturday Show #125: Chapters 6 through 10 (Plus some personal stuff)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4029
Tue, 21 Mar 2017 01:30:12 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4029Saturday Show Literary Podcast, in which Frank Marcopolos discusses chapters 6 through 10 of his work-in-progress, a novel, as well as some personal stuff dealing with travel. Connect on social: Twitter Instagram YouTube Facebook ___ You should buy INFINITE ENDING […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast, in which Frank Marcopolos discusses chapters 6 through 10 of his work-in-progress, a novel, as well as some personal stuff dealing with travel. Connect on social: Twitter Instagram YouTube Facebook ___ You should buy INF...
Connect on social:Twitter

Facebook
___
You should buy INFINITE ENDING because it has 10 short stories and you like short stories.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes15:55402932Saturday Show #124: Chapter 4 and also Chapter 5.http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4016
Sat, 11 Mar 2017 10:00:05 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4016Saturday Show Literary Podcast #124, in which Frank Marcopolos–from the infamous jet black jet stream Jetta–discusses chapters 4 and 5 of his work-in-progress, a novel. If you’re a fan of “documenting the process,” this podcast just might be for you. […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #124, in which Frank Marcopolos–from the infamous jet black jet stream Jetta–discusses chapters 4 and 5 of his work-in-progress, a novel. If you’re a fan of “documenting the process,” this podcast just might be for you. […]
Social hookups? Sure:Twitter – @frankmarcopolos

Home Base – FrankMarcopolos.com
______________
You might want to buy this 39-story anthology because it has stories written by Khaled “Kite Runner” Hosseini, Jeff “Avery Cates” Somers, Ann “Girl Detectives” Sterzinger, Nick Mamatas, Asha Anderson, Jim Munroe, Emerson Dameron, Rydell Bixby, the urban hermitt, Karl Koweski, Patrick King, Frank Marcopolos, and others.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes12:59401633Saturday Show #123: Chapter 3.http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4012
Sun, 05 Mar 2017 21:32:56 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4012In which Frank Marcopolos discusses the progress he is making on the final edit of his work-in-progress, a novel. He is up to Chapter 3. It is thrilling. Want to connect on social media? Sure: Twitter – @frankmarcopolos Instagram – […]In which Frank Marcopolos discusses the progress he is making on the final edit of his work-in-progress, a novel. He is up to Chapter 3. It is thrilling. Want to connect on social media? Sure: Twitter – @frankmarcopolos Instagram – […]
Want to connect on social media? Sure:Twitter – @frankmarcopolos

YouTube – YouTube.com/BrooklynFrank
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You might want to buy INFINITE ENDING: Ten Stories (Affiliate Link) because you enjoy literary short stories. Or because you like supporting independent artists.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes16:30400835Saturday Show #121: Right After a Developmental Edithttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/4004
Sun, 19 Feb 2017 23:28:09 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=4004Saturday Show Literary Podcast #121, wherein Frank Marcopolos discusses what happens now after a developmental edit of his current work-in-progress, a novel. Connect on social: Twitter Instagram YouTube *** You might want to buy this paperback anthology because it contains […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #121, wherein Frank Marcopolos discusses what happens now after a developmental edit of his current work-in-progress, a novel. Connect on social: Twitter Instagram YouTube *** You might want to buy this paperback antholog...
Connect on social:Twitter

YouTube
***
You might want to buy this paperback anthology because it contains 39 great short stories from the literary underground from 2000-2006.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes13:18400436Saturday Show #120: Starting Over. Again.http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3999
Fri, 17 Feb 2017 00:44:31 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3999Saturday Show Literary Podcast #120, in which Frank Marcopolos talks about a fresh start for the podcast from a Holiday Inn hotel room in Huntsville, Texas. From THE WHIRLIGIG to WOMYN DO, it’s been a long literary journey, and the […]Saturday Show Literary Podcast #120, in which Frank Marcopolos talks about a fresh start for the podcast from a Holiday Inn hotel room in Huntsville, Texas. From THE WHIRLIGIG to WOMYN DO, it’s been a long literary journey, and the […]
Social hookups:Twitter

YouTube
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You should buy two of my books because you’ve been searching for an alternative to mainstream literary fiction and they might be just what you need.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes6:23399937Saturday Show #119: Lenore by Edgar Allan Poe (Audiobook)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3965
Wed, 21 Sep 2016 00:51:46 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3965Lenore is a poem written by Edgar Allan Poe, and published in 1843. I Feel You by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100841 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Music licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bu/4.0) […]Lenore is a poem written by Edgar Allan Poe, and published in 1843. I Feel You by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100841

Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Music licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bu/4.0) from http://ccmixter.org by hepepe and radiotimes.
Performed as an audiobook by Frank Marcopolos. Performance copyright 2016, Frank J. Marcopolos
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You might love reading my book because you like literary fiction.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes15:54396538Saturday Show #118: Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Audiobook Performance)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3940
Sat, 09 Jul 2016 01:22:47 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3940You are listening to episode 118 of Saturday Show Literary Podcast. My name is Frank Marcopolos of http://frankmarcopolos.com and http://youtube.com/brooklynfrank. This episode will be a performance of Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne. According to Wikipedia, the story, published in […]You are listening to episode 118 of Saturday Show Literary Podcast. My name is Frank Marcopolos of http://frankmarcopolos.com and http://youtube.com/brooklynfrank. This episode will be a performance of Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne.http://frankmarcopolos.com and http://youtube.com/brooklynfrank. This episode will be a performance of Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne. According to Wikipedia, the story, published in 1835, takes place in 17th century Puritan New England, a common setting for Hawthorne’s works, and addresses the Calvinist/Puritan belief that all of humanity exists in a state of depravity, but that God has destined some to unconditional election through unmerited grace. Hawthorne frequently focuses on the tensions within Puritan culture, yet steeps his stories in the Puritan sense of sin. In a symbolic fashion, the story follows Young Goodman Brown’s journey into self-scrutiny.
Please enjoy Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne….
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You might love reading my book because you like literary fiction.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes35:01394039Saturday Show #117: Ulalume by Edgar Allan Poe (Audiobook)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3936
Fri, 24 Jun 2016 22:07:18 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3936Ulalume is a public-domain poem written by Edgar Allan Poe a long time ago. On this episode of the podcast, it is performed by Frank Marcopolos of http://FrankMarcopolos.com. Musical accompaniment is provided as follows: Somber by Audionautix is licensed under […]Ulalume is a public-domain poem written by Edgar Allan Poe a long time ago. On this episode of the podcast, it is performed by Frank Marcopolos of http://FrankMarcopolos.com. Musical accompaniment is provided as follows: Somber by Audionautix is licens...
Somber by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

http://instagram.com/frankzmarcopolos]]>Frank Marcopolosyes9:49393640Saturday Show #116: The Cone by H.G. Wells (Audiobook Performance)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3929
Tue, 07 Jun 2016 00:06:12 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3929This is an audiobook performance of the public-domain short story, “The Cone.” It was written by H.G. Wells a long time ago, and performed by Frank Marcopolos of http://frankmarcopolos.com just recently. If you enjoy these free audiobooks, please subscribe to […]This is an audiobook performance of the public-domain short story, “The Cone.” It was written by H.G. Wells a long time ago, and performed by Frank Marcopolos of http://frankmarcopolos.com just recently. If you enjoy these free audiobooks,
The Deadly Year by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

https://www.facebook.com/frankmarcopolos]]>Frank Marcopolosyes34:13392941Saturday Show #115: The Death of the Hired Man by Robert Frost (Performance)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3922
Sun, 22 May 2016 18:20:47 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3922This is an audiobook performance of the public domain poem “The Death of the Hired Man” by Robert Frost. The voice-actors on the track are Frank Marcopolos and Sherry S. Thompson. Music was provided as follows: “Achilles – Strings” by […]This is an audiobook performance of the public domain poem “The Death of the Hired Man” by Robert Frost. The voice-actors on the track are Frank Marcopolos and Sherry S. Thompson. Music was provided as follows: “Achilles – Strings” by […]
Music was provided as follows:
“Achilles – Strings” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Artist: http://incompetech.com/
“He is not afraid” by radiotimes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

Source: http://www.ccmixter.org/
According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost): “Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in America. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. One of the most popular and critically respected American poets of the twentieth century, Frost was honored frequently during his lifetime, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He became one of America’s rare “public literary figures, almost an artistic institution.” He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960 for his poetic works. On July 22, 1961, Frost was named Poet laureate of Vermont.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes9:45392242Saturday Show #114: A Moonlight Fable by H.G. Wells (Performance)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3911
Sat, 07 May 2016 15:36:38 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3911This story is also known as “The Beautiful Suit.” “He is not afraid” by radiotimes, 2015 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0). Herbert George “H.G.” Wells is known as the father of science fiction, having written “The Time […]This story is also known as “The Beautiful Suit.” “He is not afraid” by radiotimes, 2015 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0). Herbert George “H.G.” Wells is known as the father of science fiction, having written “The Time […]“He is not afraid” by radiotimes, 2015 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0).
Herbert George “H.G.” Wells is known as the father of science fiction, having written “The Time Machine,” “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” “The Invisible Man,” and “The War of the Worlds.” However, he also wrote some fables. According to Wikipedia, “Wells’s earliest specialized training was in biology, and his thinking on ethical matters took place in a specifically and fundamentally Darwinian context. He was also from an early date an outspoken socialist, often (but not always, as at the beginning of the First World War) sympathising with pacifist views. His later works became increasingly political and didactic, and he wrote little science fiction, while he sometimes indicated on official documents that his profession was that of journalist. Novels like “Kipps” and “The History of Mr. Polly,” which describe lower-middle-class life, led to the suggestion, when they were published, that he was a worthy successor to Charles Dickens, but Wells described a range of social strata and even attempted, in “Tono-Bungay” (1909), a diagnosis of English society as a whole. A diabetic, in 1934 Wells co-founded the charity The Diabetic Association (known today as Diabetes UK).”
While I provide a bit of a bio here as context for the story in the podcast, there is also a school of thought that advocates that the biographical information of the writer should be omitted or ignored when thinking about literary criticism for a specific work. I see both sides of the argument.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes12:59391143Saturday Show #113: The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot (Performance)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3902
Fri, 15 Apr 2016 22:13:37 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3902This is a performance of the poem “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot. Bent and Broken by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1200087 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ I Knew a Guy by Kevin MacLeod is […]This is a performance of the poem “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot. Bent and Broken by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.
Bent and Broken by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Then he hid himself in the fire that purifies them.
Quando fiam uti chelidon

When shall I become like the swallow?
Le Prince d’Aquitaine à la tour abolie

The prince of Aquitainia in the abandoned tower
Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata.

Give. Sympathize. Control.
Shantih = The Peace which passeth understanding.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes24:00390244Saturday Show #112: 2 B R 0 2 B by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (Performance)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3882
Sat, 05 Mar 2016 03:21:06 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3882This is an audiobook performance of “2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Per Wikipedia: Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (/ˈvɒnᵻɡət/; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American author. In a career spanning over 50 years, […]This is an audiobook performance of “2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Per Wikipedia: Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (/ˈvɒnᵻɡət/; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American author. In a career spanning over 50 years, […]
Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Vonnegut attended Cornell University, but dropped out in January 1943 and enlisted in the United States Army. He was deployed to Europe to fight in World War II, and was captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. He was interned in Dresden and survived the Allied bombing of the city by taking refuge in a meat locker. After the war, Vonnegut married Jane Marie Cox, with whom he had three children. He later adopted his sister’s three sons, after she died of cancer and her husband died in a train accident.
Vonnegut published his first novel, Player Piano, in 1952. The novel was reviewed positively, but was not commercially successful. In the nearly twenty years that followed, Vonnegut published several novels that were only marginally successful, such as Cat’s Cradle (1963) and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (1964). Vonnegut’s magnum opus, however, was his immediately successful sixth novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. The book’s antiwar sentiment resonated with its readers amidst the ongoing Vietnam War, and its reviews were generally positive. After its release, Slaughterhouse-Five went to the top of The New York Times Best Seller list, thrusting Vonnegut into fame. He was invited to give speeches, lectures, and commencement addresses around the country and received many awards and honors.
Later in his career, Vonnegut published several autobiographical essay and short-story collections, including Fates Worse Than Death (1991), and A Man Without a Country (2005). After his death, he was hailed as a morbidly comical commentator on the society in which he lived, and as one of the most important contemporary writers. Vonnegut’s son Mark published a compilation of his father’s unpublished compositions, titled Armageddon in Retrospect. Numerous scholarly works were released, examining Vonnegut’s writing and humor.
Land of the Dead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Artist: http://incompetech.com/]]>Frank Marcopolosyes21:12388245Saturday Show #111: Analysis of The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopinhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3861
Sun, 14 Feb 2016 19:23:13 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3861You are listening to Saturday Show Podcast, episode number 111. My name is Frank Marcopolos. I am the author of the novel ALMOST HOME, the short story collection INFINITE ENDING, and the novelettes A CAR CRASH OF SORTS, and WOMYN […]You are listening to Saturday Show Podcast, episode number 111. My name is Frank Marcopolos. I am the author of the novel ALMOST HOME, the short story collection INFINITE ENDING, and the novelettes A CAR CRASH OF SORTS, and WOMYN […]ALMOST HOME, the short story collection INFINITE ENDING, and the novelettes A CAR CRASH OF SORTS, and WOMYN DO: THE HEALING OF JOHNNY REBEL, all available on Amazon. I am also the former editor and publisher of the respected literary zine, THE WHIRLIGIG. You can find me on twitter, YouTube, or FrankMarcopolos.com, where this podcast feed stems from. It is also available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play Music.
On this episode of the podcast, we will do an analysis of the short story, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. This story is in the public domain, and the text is available online. In addition, I have performed an audiobook version of the story which is available on this podcast feed as well as on YouTube, at my channel, http://youtube.com/brooklynfrank.
Quoting Wikipedia now on the basic background of the author: Kate Chopin, born Katherine O’Flaherty (February 8, 1850 – August 22, 1904), was a U.S. author of short stories and novels. She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of the feminist authors of the 20th century of Southern or Catholic background, such as Zelda Fitzgerald.
From 1892 to 1895, she wrote short stories for both children and adults that were published in such magazines as Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, The Century Magazine, and The Youth’s Companion. Her major works were two short story collections, Bayou Folk (1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897). Her important short stories included “Désirée’s Baby,” a tale of miscegenation in antebellum Louisiana (published in 1893),[1] “The Story of an Hour” (1894),[2] and “The Storm”(1898).[1] “The Storm” is a sequel to “The ‘Cadian Ball,” which appeared in her first collection of short stories, Bayou Folk.[1] Chopin also wrote two novels: At Fault (1890) and The Awakening(1899), which are set in New Orleans and Grand Isle, respectively. The characters in her stories are usually inhabitants of Louisiana.

Within a decade of her death, Chopin was widely recognized as one of the leading writers of her time.[3] In 1915, Fred Lewis Pattee wrote, “some of [Chopin’s] work is equal to the best that has been produced in France or even in America. [She displayed] what may be described as a native aptitude for narration amounting almost to genius.”]]>Frank Marcopolosyes14:36386146Saturday Show #110: The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin (Audiobook Performance)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3657
Sun, 17 Jan 2016 23:22:57 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3657This is an audiobook performance of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. We will be analyzing this story on the next podcast. From Wikipedia: Kate Chopin, born Katherine O’Flaherty (February 8, 1850 – August 22, 1904), was a […]This is an audiobook performance of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. We will be analyzing this story on the next podcast. From Wikipedia: Kate Chopin, born Katherine O’Flaherty (February 8, 1850 – August 22, 1904), was a […]
From Wikipedia: Kate Chopin, born Katherine O’Flaherty (February 8, 1850 – August 22, 1904), was a U.S. author of short stories and novels. She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of the feminist authors of the 20th century of Southern or Catholic background, such as Zelda Fitzgerald.
From 1892 to 1895, she wrote short stories for both children and adults that were published in such magazines as Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, The Century Magazine, and The Youth’s Companion. Her major works were two short story collections, Bayou Folk (1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897). Her important short stories included “Désirée’s Baby,” a tale of miscegenation in antebellum Louisiana (published in 1893), “The Story of an Hour” (1894), and “The Storm”(1898).[1] “The Storm” is a sequel to “The ‘Cadian Ball,” which appeared in her first collection of short stories, Bayou Folk. Chopin also wrote two novels: At Fault (1890) and The Awakening (1899), which are set in New Orleans and Grand Isle, respectively. The characters in her stories are usually inhabitants of Louisiana. Many of her works are set in Natchitoches in north central Louisiana.
Within a decade of her death, Chopin was widely recognized as one of the leading writers of her time. In 1915, Fred Lewis Pattee wrote, “some of [Chopin’s] work is equal to the best that has been produced in France or even in America. [She displayed] what may be described as a native aptitude for narration amounting almost to genius.”]]>Frank Marcopolosyes10:01365747Saturday Show #109: Good People by David Foster Wallacehttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3634
Sat, 09 Jan 2016 14:15:47 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3634You are listening to “Saturday Show Literary Podcast,” a podcast about writing, literature, philosophy, and—well—life. The podcast feed stems from FrankMarcopolos.com, and is also available on iTunes, Stitcher, or any podcatcher app. This episode features a live recording of a […]You are listening to “Saturday Show Literary Podcast,” a podcast about writing, literature, philosophy, and—well—life. The podcast feed stems from FrankMarcopolos.com, and is also available on iTunes, Stitcher, or any podcatcher app.FrankMarcopolos.com, and is also available on iTunes, Stitcher, or any podcatcher app. This episode features a live recording of a meeting of the Austin Writing Workshop, which is a graduate-level fiction-writing workshop led by a former professor of literature and philosophy at Texas State University. Writers in the Austin area can join the workshop via meetup.com.
My name is Frank “Zeus” Marcopolos, and I am the author of the novel ALMOST HOME, the short story collection INFINITE ENDING, and the recently released WOMYN DO: THE HEALING OF JOHNNY R3BEL. I am also the former editor and publisher of the respected literary magazine, THE WHIRLIGIG. All of these things are available on Amazon and all of the online places. I am also active on YouTube and Twitter, so come and say hello.
The story that will be discussed by the members of the workshop is “GOOD PEOPLE” by David Foster Wallace. However, please keep in mind that for strategic reasons, the members do not know the author or story title while critiquing it.
“Good People” by David Foster Wallace was published in the New Yorker magazine on February 5, 2007. David Foster Wallace (February 21, 1962 – September 12, 2008) was an American author of novels, short stories and essays, as well as a professor of English and creative writing. Wallace is widely known for his 1996 novel Infinite Jest, which was cited by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005.
Wallace’s last, unfinished novel, The Pale King, was published in 2011 and was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. A biography of Wallace was published in September 2012, and an extensive critical literature on his work has developed in the past decade.
Los Angeles Times book editor David Ulin has called Wallace “one of the most influential and innovative writers of the last 20 years.

On a personal note, I have to say that I apologize for the arrogance of the leader of this group and his opinions on this particular story. Rest assured, they do not reflect my own. Regarding this podcast, this episode will be the last one with this format where I have recorded the meeting of the Austin Writing Workshop. Moving forward, we will still be doing literary criticism, however, we’ll be doing it in a different way.
That being said, ENJOY “Saturday Show Literary Podcast #109: Good People by David Foster Wallace” ….]]>Frank Marcopolosyes34:06363448RETAIL SAMPLE – Womyn Do: The Healing of JOHNNY R3BEL by Frank “Zeus” Marcopoloshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3610
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 01:57:25 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3610This is the retail sample of a new ebook and audiobook entitled, “Womyn Do: The Healing of JOHNNY R3BEL” by Frank “Zeus” Marcopolos. The complete unabridged edition is available here: on Amazon.This is the retail sample of a new ebook and audiobook entitled, “Womyn Do: The Healing of JOHNNY R3BEL” by Frank “Zeus” Marcopolos. The complete unabridged edition is available here: on Amazon.on Amazon.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes3:06361049Saturday Show #108: Lecture on Resonance and Theme in Literary Fictionhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3606
Sun, 13 Dec 2015 00:25:15 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3606This is a short lecture on resonance and theme in literary fiction by the leader of the Austin Writing Workshop, a former professor of literature and philosophy at Texas State University.This is a short lecture on resonance and theme in literary fiction by the leader of the Austin Writing Workshop, a former professor of literature and philosophy at Texas State University.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes29:15360650Saturday Show #107: Pretty Ice by Mary Robisonhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3600
Sun, 06 Dec 2015 01:10:38 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3600[NOTE: “Ice Cold” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/] * This is “Saturday Show Literary Podcast,” a podcast about writing, literature, philosophy, and—well—life. The podcast feed stems from FrankMarcopolos.com, and is also available […][NOTE: “Ice Cold” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/] * This is “Saturday Show Literary Podcast,” a podcast about writing, literature,
Artist: http://audionautix.com/]
*
This is “Saturday Show Literary Podcast,” a podcast about writing, literature, philosophy, and—well—life. The podcast feed stems from FrankMarcopolos.com, and is also available on iTunes, Stitcher, or any podcatcher app. It is also usually available subsequently on YouTube. This episode features a live recording of a meeting of the Austin Writing Workshop, which is a graduate-level fiction-writing workshop led by a former professor of literature and philosophy at Texas State University. Writers in the Austin area can join the workshop via meetup.com.
My name is Frank “Zeus” Marcopolos, and I am the author of the novel ALMOST HOME, the short story collection INFINITE ENDING, and the recently released WOMYN DO: THE HEALING OF JOHNNY R3BEL. I am also the former editor and publisher of the respected literary magazine, THE WHIRLIGIG.
The story that will be discussed by the members of the workshop is “PRETTY ICE” by “MARY ROBISON.” However, the members do not know the author or story title while critiquing it.
“Pretty Ice” was published in 1979 by The New Yorker Magazine. According to Wikipedia, Mary Robison has published four collections of stories, and four novels, including her 2001 novel Why Did I Ever, winner of the 2001 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for fiction. Her most recent novel, released in 2009, is One D.O.A., One on the Way. She has been categorized as a founding “minimalist” writer along with authors such as Amy Hempel, Frederick Barthelme, and Raymond Carver. In 2009, she won the Rea Award for the Short Story.
ENJOY “Saturday Show Literary Podcast #107: Pretty Ice by Mary Robison!”]]>Frank Marcopolosyes42:50360051Saturday Show #106: As Good As It Gets, The Objectivist Ethics by Ayn Rand, and Fat by Raymond Carverhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3595
Sun, 22 Nov 2015 02:55:00 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3595“It’s God…and then Ayn Rand.” Members of the Austin Writing Workshop conduct a roundtable, free-form discussion of literary and philosophical topics. The first part of the podcast covers the movie “As Good as It Gets” starring Helen Hunt, Jack Nicholson, […]“It’s God…and then Ayn Rand.” Members of the Austin Writing Workshop conduct a roundtable, free-form discussion of literary and philosophical topics. The first part of the podcast covers the movie “As Good as It Gets” starring Helen Hunt,
Members of the Austin Writing Workshop conduct a roundtable, free-form discussion of literary and philosophical topics.
The first part of the podcast covers the movie “As Good as It Gets” starring Helen Hunt, Jack Nicholson, and Greg Kinnear.
The second part of the podcast covers the essay “The Objectivist Ethics” by Ayn Rand.
The third part covers Raymond Carver’s “Fat,” literary techniques (including irony), the movie “Edward Scissorhands,” and other arty topics.
People are chomping on food and there are weird background noises the whole time, too, so if that bugs you (as much as it does me) then skip this one.
***
Links you can click:Website

Books You Can Buy]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:51:18359552Saturday Show #104: Referential by Lorrie “The Story” Moorehttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3572
Sat, 03 Oct 2015 14:42:52 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3572Group discussion by the Austin Writing Workshop about the short story “Referential” by Lorrie Moore. You can read the story before listening (and you should) by clicking here. The Austin Writing Workshop is led by a former professor of literature […]Group discussion by the Austin Writing Workshop about the short story “Referential” by Lorrie Moore. You can read the story before listening (and you should) by clicking here. The Austin Writing Workshop is led by a former professor of literature […]Lorrie Moore. You can read the story before listening (and you should) by clicking here. The Austin Writing Workshop is led by a former professor of literature at Texas State University (with an MFA, of course), and a self-published author with a BA in Literature (who is considering applying to schools to get his MFA.)]]>Frank Marcopolosyes52:13357253Saturday Show #103: How to Talk to Your Mother by Lorrie Moorehttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3555
Tue, 28 Jul 2015 08:21:11 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3555In this episode of the podcast we discuss “How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)” by Lorrie Moore, “Fixation of Belief” by philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, and other high-minded topics because we’re snobs like that. Text of the Lorrie Moore […]In this episode of the podcast we discuss “How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)” by Lorrie Moore, “Fixation of Belief” by philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, and other high-minded topics because we’re snobs like that. Text of the Lorrie Moore […]
Text of the Lorrie Moore short story can be found by clicking here: http://www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/stories-week-2009-2010/how-talk-your-mother
“Fixation of Belief” by Charles Sanders Peirce is discussed in great detail by Avery Archer here: http://thespaceofreasons.blogspot.com/2012/05/outline-of-peirces-fixation-of-belief.html
YOU can join the Austin Writing Workshop (Austin-area writers only, please) by clicking here: http://www.meetup.com/real-writers
***
Some of the writers mentioned in the podcast with links to some of their better works are listed below:Lorrie Moore

Margaret Atwood]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:11:21355554Saturday Show #102: Pet Milk by Stuart Dybekhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3548
Tue, 21 Jul 2015 08:03:13 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3548Surrounded by pit bulls, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions, the leather-jacketed renegades of the Austin Writing Workshop met to discuss the knife-blade vitality of art, literature, and philosophy, specifically the short story “Pet Milk” by Stuart Dybek and other kinds of […]Surrounded by pit bulls, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions, the leather-jacketed renegades of the Austin Writing Workshop met to discuss the knife-blade vitality of art, literature, and philosophy, specifically the short story “Pet Milk” by Stuart Dybek...“Pet Milk” by Stuart Dybek and other kinds of narratives and forms.
After teaching for more than 30 years at Western Michigan University, where he remains an Adjunct Professor of English and a member of the permanent faculty of the Prague Summer Program, Stuart Dybek became the Distinguished Writer in Residence at Northwestern University where he teaches at the School of Professional Studies. Dybek’s two collections of poems are Brass Knuckles (1979) and Streets in Their Own Ink (2004). His fiction includes Childhood and Other Neighborhoods, The Coast of Chicago, I Sailed With Magellan, a novel-in-stories, Paper Lantern: Love Stories, and Ecstatic Cahoots: Fifty Short Stories. His work has been anthologized and has appeared in elite literary magazines such as Harper’s, The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Poetry, Tin House, Ploughshares, and Triquarterly. His collection, The Coast of Chicago, was selected as a New York Times Notable Book and cited as an American Library Association Notable Book of 2005. A story from I Sailed With Magellan, titled “Breasts,” appears in the 2004 Best American Short Stories.
Specific topics included:
1) Lecture on Art vs. Pop, Stephen King, the effects of techniques, genre fiction, formulaic narratives, M. Night Shamalyan, What is Art?, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, defining your terms, writing goals, society disappearing, just telling a story that interests people, Tao Lin, Harry Potter, going to an art museum, making an argument, visual art kissing the professor’s ass, poetry, comedy, sculpture, literature shmiterature, fundamental qualities, religion, genre fiction and philistines, postmodernism, themeless and meaningless forms having the MOST meaning of all, reality television as high art, religion as a system of ideas to get rid of arguments, because God said so, children’s literature, C.S. Lewis, Phillip Pullman, atheism, anti-Christianity, anti-organized religion, Jesus, humanism, Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, 9 different accepted versions of the Bible, West Texas, To Kill a Mockingbird, the N-word, Mark Twain, Atticus Finch, and Go Set a Watchman.
2) Group debate about “Pet Milk” by Stuart Dybek, including the brevity of the story, not understanding why something is a story vs. a slice of life or other narrative format, plot summary, story not being deep, nostalgia, playing devil’s advocate, Chicago, readability, disproportionately weighted details not related to a theme, the El train or subway in Chi-town, Margaret Atwood, keys left by the bowl, having an eye for detail, opening up the details for the reader, mood and language, theme theme theme, details working together to form and work with the theme, alcohol, pet milk not being real milk, realist style, Ernest Hemingway, character sketch, resonance, the ending, Rock Springs by Richard Ford, remembering people who use pet milk, J.D. Salinger, Milan Kundera, modernism vs. postmodernism, plotlessness, thinking that the girl would die, poorly written sex scenes, understanding the space of a subway car, having sex on subway cars, too many details, a story about movement and transitions, making the character Jewish, Borges, trying to save the story, plot or theme, theme exploration, duality of waves and particles, the radio dial being where cultures are mixed, playing with time, King Alphonso XIII of Spain, movement and motion, Barth, Einstein, Newton, time is not set-time is relative, does the table end right here?, subjective perception, story simplicity, author intention, changing opinions, the joy and agony of nostalgia, traveling by subway, Risky Business, guessing the author, J.D.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes2:02:03354855Saturday Show #101: How to Write a Treatment (+ Silence of the Lambs)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3540
Sun, 05 Jul 2015 02:23:13 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3540What if you had an opportunity to get a treatment in front of actual Hollywood producers and directors, in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a chance to seize everything you ever wanted? Would you capture it? Or let it slip? The Austin […]What if you had an opportunity to get a treatment in front of actual Hollywood producers and directors, in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a chance to seize everything you ever wanted? Would you capture it? Or let it slip? The Austin […]The Austin Writing Workshop discusses treatments, to hilarious and endrunkening effect.
There are brief intros and an outtro by Zeus for context, but here are some of the details discussed in the workshop portion of the show:
Yo:
Start: Lecture on Screenwriting and Treatments, including 3 common ways to write a treatment, logline, 2-3 page summary, 60-page summary, 3-act structure, Act 1 as introduction to character and story ending with twist that pushes plot forward, The Matrix, The Magus, The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco, Fowles, writing what people care about, rising tension, Jack Kerouac, literary mysteries, clashing characters, TV shows and cliffhangers, end of Act 2 having another twist that pushes plot to where resolution can occur, Act 3 defined by resolution of the tension, Silence of the Lambs, peripety, putting a clock on it, The Atheist, Hannibal Lecter, the mask, The Matrix (again), The Magus (again), Kundera, sexuality, Charles Bukowski, Tao Lin, Haruki Marukami, hiding underwear, Lethal Weapon, Ferris Buehler’s Day Off, Risky Business, Tom Cruise, Richard Ford, the monkey story, Rock Springs, Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll, Val Kilmer, Sideways, Paul Giamatti, pinot noir, running down the street naked, Thomas Hayden Church, the absurdity of life’s meaninglessness, humor, Requiem for a Dream, the Player, Interstellar, Matthew McConnaughey, George Clooney, real science, Matt Damon, Jason Bourne, life pods, Christopher Nolan, Memento, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Bourne Identity, Identity, John Cusack, the glitch in the matrix, Doubt, Shakespeare, and writer’s block.
After the jump: The food and wine arrive, and the group continues discussing treatments, writing organically, motivation, chances to be famous, laziness, pathology, the clock is ticking, Confederacy of Dunces, Sideways Lifetime, Rock Springs, Memento, getting it finished, The War of Art, resistance, Stephen Pressfield, finishing a novel, waiting until you’re 90, A River Runs Through It, The Jim 1,000 point scale, Spring in Fialta, Rock Springs, Fat, A Small Good Thing, A Clean Well-Lighted Place, indefatiguable, a narrow window of time of six months, Sherlock Holmes, House, and The Magus.
Outtro
******

]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:04:19354056Saturday Show #100: Bohemians by George Saundershttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3521
Mon, 29 Jun 2015 14:37:04 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3521The Austin Writing Workshop met at the Westin at the Domain in Austin, Texas, to discuss literature and philosophy. This is the result. This is the 100th episode of Saturday Show. If you enjoy this podcast, please use the Amazon.com […]The Austin Writing Workshop met at the Westin at the Domain in Austin, Texas, to discuss literature and philosophy. This is the result. This is the 100th episode of Saturday Show. If you enjoy this podcast, please use the Amazon.com […]
1) Intro by Zeus
2) Group discussion of “Bohemians” by George Saunders, including not hating it as much as the other ones, being too cute, writing siding with the absurd, over-the-top language, intentional, tying into the theme, justifying a mistake, subtlety, finding the middle ground, the raccoon, explaining the raccoon, style issue, dry realism, surprising phrasing, slipstream, Halloweenification, science fiction, reality but weirder, writing genre versus literary fiction, what makes literary fiction literary?, making the case for the theme working, natural theme and feeling organic, presupposing the stupidity of Zeus, emphasis on schtick, Chuck Pahlaniuk, Clint Eastwood, details working, interesting absurdity, roles switching, M. Night Shamalan, Stephen King, story not working but being interesting, Cory being drunk, being immersed in the story, drunk dads, Lord of the Flies, gangs of kids doing shit, society of losers, Of Mice and Men, Lenny, plot summary, surrealism, story being two or three vignettes, unreliable narrators, focus, immature writing, prosthetic legs, plants, little kid narrator and seeming surreal, arguing about the realism of the story, the lady who pretended to be black, readers losing, discursiveness, narrowing down, defending the writer, the plotlessness of the story, style issues, cutting too much, Wiffle ball and bat, over-editing, speculation, excellent details, analyzing the ending to get the theme of the story, the turd boat, obviousness of theme, good readability, having literary merit, Silo Apparent, guessing the author, moral and theme, subtlety, Spring in Fialta by Vladimir Nabokov, Kundera, Pahlaniuk, George Saunders, BINGO, Tenth of December, Thomas McGuane, Steven Hawking, being broadly categorical, Democrats, Republicans, and Sam Harris.
3) Interjection by Zeus re: Ann Coulter digression
4) Group discussion continues, including Ann Coulter, America going to crap, Christians, Larry Flynting people, Bill Maher, Rush Limbaugh, two languages per country, and World War II.
5) Interjection by Zeus re: member-submitted story.
6) Group discussion of the member-submitted story, including extra lines, the jokes, descriptions, lavendar shirts, plot summary, and uploading the WRONG file.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes59:01352157Saturday Show #99: The Apologizer by Milan Kunderahttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3512
Sun, 21 Jun 2015 16:01:39 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3512At a Whole Foods at the Domain in Austin, Texas, the Austin Writing Workshop breaks down “The Apologizer” by recluse and literary genius Milan Kundera and two chapters of Zeus’s work-in-progress novel while drinking beer and chugging 5-Hour Energies. More […]At a Whole Foods at the Domain in Austin, Texas, the Austin Writing Workshop breaks down “The Apologizer” by recluse and literary genius Milan Kundera and two chapters of Zeus’s work-in-progress novel while drinking beer and chugging 5-Hour Energies.Austin Writing Workshop breaks down “The Apologizer” by recluse and literary genius Milan Kundera and two chapters of Zeus’s work-in-progress novel while drinking beer and chugging 5-Hour Energies.
More details as follows:
1) Zeus’s introduction to the podcast
2) Group discussion of “The Apologizer” by Milan Kundera, including the thematic structure, unreliability of human memory, understanding reality, the talking picture, questioning everything you just read, Silo Apparent, plot summary, Eve from the Garden of Eden, apologizing and not knowing, not having a navel, the beginning, style, insights into sexuality, pre-pubescent boy, bad style, being amateurish with philosophical, talkiness, everything being fake, surrealism, understanding the character motivations, style issues, bad Kerouac, believing the storyline, title guesses, symbolism, heavy-handedness, short girls, fixation on navels, female sexuality, Schroedinger’s cat, picture of mom on the wall, the father and mommy issues, connecting the dots, Hindu culture, Kali the Destroyer, connection to mom, plot and/or theme, Confederacy of Dunces, trite, moral agency, feeling guilty, having a narrator that you buy into, the danger of philosophy in stories, Ernest Hemingway, existentialism, phenomenalogicalism, Ayn Rand, story not being Kundera, Mary Gaitskill, translation, Henry Miller, Joyce Carol Oates, Jack Kerouac, Kundera when he was 13, Kundera when he was 80, Kundera not caring about his writing anymore, the New Yorker, French and Czech, and trilingualism.
3) Zeus’s setting of the context of the critique of the member-submitted story.
4) Group discussion of Chapters 5 and 6 of THE CROSS IN THE BALLPARK by Frank “Zeus” Marcopolos, including the over-use of the word “weird,” college guys talking, too much realism, Budski using Spanish, Perez Hilton, Paris Hilton, thumb-writing, plot summary, nit-picking, dialogue and realism, tape recorder, character spotlights, the concept of a foil, altruism, getting rid of unncessary things, readability, getting better at cleaning up the story, a progression, earlier drafts, and all stories being about a kind of death.
5) Zeus’s outtro and farewell.
Here’s something unrelated, but funnish anyway. A remix I did of “The Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot, clips from the movie “Apocalypse Now,” and “The End” by the Doors. Lemme know whatchou think!

]]>Frank Marcopolosyes47:04351258Saturday Show #98: The Fly by Katherine Mansfieldhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3501
Sun, 07 Jun 2015 00:31:10 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3501Listen in as the members of the Austin Writing Workshop debate the literary merits of “The Fly” by Katherine Mansfield. Also, chapters 3 and 4 from Zeus’s new novel, and much less drinking than in previous episodes. Sorry. 0:00 Excerpt […]Listen in as the members of the Austin Writing Workshop debate the literary merits of “The Fly” by Katherine Mansfield. Also, chapters 3 and 4 from Zeus’s new novel, and much less drinking than in previous episodes. Sorry. 0:00 Excerpt […]Austin Writing Workshop debate the literary merits of “The Fly” by Katherine Mansfield. Also, chapters 3 and 4 from Zeus’s new novel, and much less drinking than in previous episodes. Sorry.
0:00 Excerpt from the podcast
0:54 Podcast Introduction by Zeus
3:37 Group discussion of chapters 3 and 4 from Zeus’s new novel, including having read the story already, over-massaging the text, editing too much, fresh eyes, specific word choice, plot summary, confusion about the shark story, going on too long, looking at the story fresh, expectations, understanding the details, liking the details, dirt specks in a rain drop, the shark scene, sarcasm, being Google-y, realism, losing realism, poor choices for details, the stupid raindrop, cascading and fleeting raindrops, the direction of the raindrop, details working for the story, way too much sentence, “trite” dialogue, stilted style, sub-text of finding religion again, stylistic dreamworld, clashing styles, coaching Ocean, realism transcending through the subtlety, symbology of water, flooding, and more water symbolism.
38:50 Group discussion of “The Fly” by Katherine Mansfield, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, being a smart aleck, J.D. Salinger, John Steinbeck, explanations of theme, Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, the monkey story, the fact that the story is dated, story’s utility as a teaching tool, being over the top, “Fat,” 1930’s, Ernest Hemingway, plot summary, the asshole character of the boss, more plot summary, reversal of fortune, writerly details, loneliness, wanting for the fly to be stronger as an irrational desire, braggarts, theme-heavy, post world war one expression of existential despair and helplessness, Camus, Dan Carlin, Blueprint for Armageddon, man’s unwillingness to accept death, symbolism of the name Woodifield being a forest, the first sentence, 1922, the failure of consciousness, ink blotting equal to artillery shelling, World War 2, voting, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, George Orwell, 1984, Animal Farm, Steinbeck, Francine Prose, anonymous authors, considered top 5 stories of all time, story being easily teachable, Nabokov, The Yellow Wallpaper, controversy, tuberculosis, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, and totally misreading the story.
1:08:27 End of Podcast
Here is “The Fly” by Katherine Mansfield:

]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:08:28350159Saturday Show #97: The Santosbrazzi Killer by Heidi Julavitshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3496
Sat, 30 May 2015 23:35:07 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3496This week, only 3 members of the notorious Austin Writing Workshop gathered to do battle over literature and philosophy. But that was enough. Listen to the sparks fly, the philosophical theories rumble, and the rhetoric zoom off the hook! 0:00 […]This week, only 3 members of the notorious Austin Writing Workshop gathered to do battle over literature and philosophy. But that was enough. Listen to the sparks fly, the philosophical theories rumble, and the rhetoric zoom off the hook! 0:00 […]
0:00 Introductory Clip from the Episode
0:40 Infinite Ending Advertisement (You should buy this, no doubt.)
1:16 Group discussion of “The Santosbrazzi Killer” by Heidi Julavits, including broad discussion of style used in the piece, plot summary, making up words, owning the language, Ernest Hemingway, David Foster Wallace, Brooklyn hipsters, jicking, amateur attempt at copying Wallace and Dave Eggers, use of details, hyper-maximalism, Carver, assholeness of character, setting up the intrigue of the story, being open-minded to the style, word-maker-upper, colloquialisms, general critiques against postmodernism, the prison of choice, philosophical conundrums, subconscious choices on the menu of life, theme of alienation, lady Hush Puppies, men sitting on a chair and taking a bullet in the head, cultural comment on American life, consumerism, character becoming a writer for the ‘Nati, David Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, the McSweeney’s gang, The Believer magazine, Kundera, writers having too many choices, having more energy, selling the reader your story, universal rules, comedy in the story, the Tuck Inn, using larger words, surreal feel of the story, something for the reader to believe, the pirate people, subtlety, being concerned with plot only, Transformers, Groundhog Day, more discussion of pirates, horror, Don DeLillo, mysteries, Dashiell Hammett, Victorian literature, following the rules, slickness, academics not finding value in David Foster Wallace, teaching Hemingway’s tactics, anthologization, Tom Hanks, learning crap, urban dictionary, jick meaning, whipping out of the pen, basic outline of story, MFA Programs, being a paratrooper, Donald Barthelme, dilution of the process, ee cummings, the art cycle, Richard Ford, Stephen King, hating every story, The Girl with Curious Hair, Lyndon Johnson, the avant-garde, guessing who the author is, revealing the writer as HEIDI JULAVITS, Harold Bloom, The 12 Best American Writers, J.D. Salinger, Nick Adams, Updkie, Roth, Cheever, Coover, American Pastoral, and creating a villain character.
53:13 Infinite Ending Advertisement (WHY have you not purchased this yet??? Are you loco in the coco?)
53:45 End of Podcast ]]>Frank Marcopolosyes16:16349660Saturday Show #96: Coming Sun.Mon.Tues. by Don DeLillo (+ Lecture on WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3479
Sun, 17 May 2015 01:47:16 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3479Every Friday (more or less) a group of renegade writers gathers in Austin, Texas to drink alcohol, eat gluten-free snacks, and discuss literature, philosophy, and all manner of stimulating ideas. Listen in to the 96th episode of a Texas classic. […]Every Friday (more or less) a group of renegade writers gathers in Austin, Texas to drink alcohol, eat gluten-free snacks, and discuss literature, philosophy, and all manner of stimulating ideas. Listen in to the 96th episode of a Texas classic. […]
Saturday Show Literary Podcast is an MFA program in fiction writing disguised as a podcast. However, we are not accredited. By anyone.
Approximate time stamps and discussion topics are provide below.
0:00 Excerpt from the podcast
0:56 INFINITE ENDING Advertisement
1:33 Group discussion of Coming Sun.Mon.Tues. by Don DeLillo, including the rules of keeping the story anonymous for group members, the gimmick, Cory looking stuff up, explaining the game, F. Scott Fitzgerald, perfect length, style, time period, setting, Cloud Atlas, well-established tropes, meta-comments, plot summary, irony, comedy, comment on story itself, wall of words, evoking a time and a place, the Western world, Vietnam, 1960s, twirling, illegal activities, knowing the characters, demographics, minority experiences, insider knowledge, staccato sentences, Hemingway, meaningless details, the basic rules of stories, anti-stories, cleverness, postmodernism, picking up the baton, relay races, Spin The Bottle, Vladimir Nabokov, risky writers, Spring in Fialta, details, Lacan, theme, Ethiopians, Asia, Europe, Africa, details analysis, not latching onto any details, Junot Diaz, the fallacy of story as a way to gain meaning in our lives, the guessing game, Donald Barthelme, ee cummings, New Yorker stories, George Saunders, Bob Dylan, “Frank Fucking Marcopolos,” Robert Coover, Richard Ford, Don DeLillo as the author of the story, Don Rickles, fame and luck, David Foster Wallace, arguing over who selects the story, the hairbrush story, and literary shenanigans.
43:50 Group discussion about Philosophy, including Zizek, Martin Buber, Thomas Aquinas, religious ways of knowing, Immanuel Kant, Spinoza, Leibnitz, Saint Anselm, art, science, philosophy, relationship with the divine, atheism, Freud, Texas State University, the baby Jesus, enlightened atheists, miracles, gratefulness, C.S. Lewis, tradition, pre-enlightenment, religion as guesswork, Ayn Rand, epistomology, empiricism, philosophy’s role in real writing, answering Ayn Rand’s four questions, epistomology, metaphysics, morality, politics, reason, Ambrose Bierce, experience, Hegel, cultural specifics, Buddhism, students of philosophy, Duck Dynasty, professional philosophers, Socrates, Fight Club, Nietzsche, believing in absolutes, absolute truths, the agora, the debate itself being the point, scientific theory, House M.D., the discussion that never ends, the Jewish faith, Rabbis, how many angels fit on the head of a pin, streams of religious thought, the philosophical orientation of our main characters, The Atheist, religion as obesity, everyone worships, worshipping anti-worshipping, over-thinking thinking, being too rational, going to the gym too much, drinking too much, non-commercialized art, quilt-making, bad art, the rules of art, and the rules for everything, quilting, Jackson Pollack, DeLillo’s technique, Andy Warhol, the urinal, and rules for religions.
1:19:00 INFINITE ENDING Promotion
Here is a clip from the show in handy video format:

]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:19:40347961Saturday Show #95: The Pura Principle by Junot Diaz (+ The Philosophy and Rules of Art)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3469
Sun, 03 May 2015 02:35:55 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3469Is art completely subjective? Or are there objective rules which need to be observed in order for an artistic project to be successful? This podcast explores. Plus, why Junot Diaz is terrible, considering subjectivity and objectivity as the same thing, […]Is art completely subjective? Or are there objective rules which need to be observed in order for an artistic project to be successful? This podcast explores. Plus, why Junot Diaz is terrible, considering subjectivity and objectivity as the same thing,...
0:00 Excerpt from the Podcast
0:29 Advert for Infinite Ending: Ten Stories by Frank Marcopolos
1:05 Group discussion of the short story, “The Pura Principle” by Junot Diaz, including keeping the professional stories anonymous for critiquing, 98% story-hating ratio, Frank Marcopolos’s Italian heritage, having free reign to criticize the story, professional writers, the mystery of the anonymity of the author and its implications, being engaged in the story, losing one’s eyeballs, plot summary, elevation of the narrator, literary allusions and references, Horsefaces of the Apocalypse, Dominican characters, doing research in a medium amount, Lemoncello, tolerant readers, generous readers, diversity of opinions, not reading the story (bad!), thinking the main character was a female, being an asshole reviewer, aesthetics of a sentence, The Philosophy of Art, bad details, having no literary merit, clarity and concision of narrative language, variety of characters, plot attractiveness, slice of life nature of the story, Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, biculturalism, realistic literary fiction technique, research versus experience pouring into the writing, not being able to escape the gravity of one’s environment including family and culture, Sam Harris, free will/determinism, taking science to its limit, maximizing Hispanic writing, lionizing themeless writing, pro-culturism, erasing the theme, pseudo-intellectual literary marketing, Rock Springs, the gold mine, the monkey, subjective extreme reactions, guessing game about who the writer is, MFAs, Tim O’Brien, studying Junot Diaz, The New Yorker, Is Frank Marcopolos a better writer than Junot Diaz, New Yorker standards of quality, Hair Jewelry, Stephen King, not trusting Cory, Laura Vandenberg, more plot summary, a writer uprising!, Chuck Pahlaniuk, a horrible passage from 50 Shades of Grey, Charles Bukowski, Joyce Carol Oates, E.L. James, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, A Casual Vacancy, cultural snowballing, fame as a momentum, The Story of O, and Cory’s love of cults (Cults R Us.)
50:30 Group discussion of the first two chapters of Frank Marcopolos’s new novel, including it being a “real” story, enjoying the story, one of the best things Frank has written, fine-tuning the characters, story being closer to the bone, losing the game, feeling the loss, the moral courage, ending with a mystery, the writing works, the chapters being better, honing of the craft, cleaner narrative, taking notes, revelation of plot, seeming trite, filler dialogue, the balance of art, Enzo being likeable, heavy-handedness, the unimportance of the dialogue, dialogue doing multiple things, character diversity, stories siding with the absurd, Rock Springs (again), Richard Ford (again), Sideways, car thieves, the monkey story (again), rich versus filler dialogue, feeling like Chapter 1, Name of the Rose, mako sharks, Chuck Pahlaniuk, out of place details, dryologue, slickness, Jaws, two different backstories, details doing work, shaking up a story is only as good as the shaking up, long debate about leaving in the detail about a mako shark.
1:20:00 Group discussion of a member-submitted poem, including reading and interpretive dance, babies being thrown out the window, explanation of why a poem was submitted, poetry slams, reading the poem, coffeehouse applause, mawkish performance, acting, and performance pieces being considered art.
1:27:00 Discussion of the Philosophy and Rules of Art,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:48:28346962Saturday Show #93: I, the Jury by Mickey Spillane (Excerpt)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3456
Sat, 18 Apr 2015 13:44:34 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3456With the explosive successes of the work by Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and others, it may be time for the literary world to ponder the questions that their noir and bleak worlds raise for us. What, in particular, does the […]With the explosive successes of the work by Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and others, it may be time for the literary world to ponder the questions that their noir and bleak worlds raise for us. What, in particular, does the […]SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR by clicking on this very link.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes345663Saturday Show #92: The Laughing Man by J.D. Salingerhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3450
Sun, 12 Apr 2015 00:28:31 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3450The Austin Writing Workshop returns from hiatus to discuss a piece of micro-fiction and then “The Laughing Man” by J.D. Salinger. Buy Nine Stories here. Click here to read what Goodreads readers have to say about the story (and compare/contrast […]The Austin Writing Workshop returns from hiatus to discuss a piece of micro-fiction and then “The Laughing Man” by J.D. Salinger. Buy Nine Stories here. Click here to read what Goodreads readers have to say about the story (and compare/contrast […]The Austin Writing Workshop returns from hiatus to discuss a piece of micro-fiction and then “The Laughing Man” by J.D. Salinger. Buy Nine Stories here. Click here to read what Goodreads readers have to say about the story (and compare/contrast with the AWW! For funsies!)
Approximate time stamps and micro-descriptions of topics discussed are provided below.
0:00 Excerpt from “The Laughing Man” by J.D. Salinger
2:14 Ad for INFINITE ENDING by Frank “Zeus” Marcopolos
2:49 Podcast introduction
3:47 Live reading of “The Hairbrush”
7:09 Group analysis of “The Hairbrush,” including brevity, microfiction, dog-world, wistfulness, plot summary, invisible narrator, putting up with the story, evoking of emotion, being mawkish, avoiding mawkishness, making obvious choices, mysteries or the lack thereof, limitations of human knowledge, epistimology, death, the unknowable, the true nature of reality, narrative technique of mysteries, organic introduction, the question of the MONKEY STORY, explanation of what a monkey story is, avarice, Rock Springs by Richard Ford, carelessness, details that don’t match, Nabokov, Humboldt’s Gift, ethereal theme-connected details, Cinema Paradiso, Fillini, Bergman, Through the Glass Darkly, hats and clouds, needing a chalkboard, finding the complexity within a story, and anonymous bylines. 29:51
34:34 Group analysis of “The Laughing Man” by J.D. Salinger, including frame stories, John Updike, typical Salinger styles, plot summary, Hollywood endings, non-literary themes, Ernest Hemingway, idealism, coming of age, over-idealizing things, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, Franny and Zooey, The Catcher in the Rye, Seymour Glass, A Perfect Day for Bananafish, 1984, Huckleberry Finn, overt theme, the power of art to be existentially redemptive, symbolism, deconstructing the ending, art and life intersecting, subtle theme of natural versus supernatural, dualism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Scientology, Mary Hudson as the symbol of the natural, the laughing man as a symbol of the supernatural, political theme, geographical symbolism, being from New York, marrying up in class, seeing the dentist quote-unquote, abortion, message, power of art failing to be redemptive, unmasking of the true reality of life, organic theme of loss of innocence, and becoming a man, comedy within the story, style as technique, Salinger’s fame, Salinger’s reputation, Hemingway’s reputation, the Salinger vault, and David Foster Wallace.
1:03:18 End of podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:03:19345064Saturday Show #91: Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (+ Lecture on THEME)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3431
Sun, 29 Mar 2015 01:43:24 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3431On this episode of the podcast, Professor Jim gives a fascinating lecture on theme. Also, a member-submitted story is discussed. Pull quote: “William Shakespeare’s entire canon is concerned with the pathos of the irretrievability of time.” Discuss. Listing of topics […]On this episode of the podcast, Professor Jim gives a fascinating lecture on theme. Also, a member-submitted story is discussed. Pull quote: “William Shakespeare’s entire canon is concerned with the pathos of the irretrievability of time.” Discuss.
Listing of topics discussed and approximate time stamps are below:
0:00 Podcast Teaser
0:17 Infinite Ending Advert
0:53 Podcast Intro
1:46 Professorial lecture about THEME, including structures for academic papers, approaching arguments, different kinds of themes, differentiation from repitition, eating pizza, getting drunk, famous writer aura, messing with the students’ heads, the smaller something is being harder to write, an award-winning micro-fiction short story involving a hairbrush, Hair Jewelry, opening doors, meaning, Mick Jagger, differentiating kinds of theme, OVERT theme, Sideways, wine, motif, symbol, SUBTLE theme, William Shakespeare, the pathos of the irretrievability of time, theater and literary professors, two layers of subtle theme, Huckleberry Finn and symbols, Charles Bukowski, POLITICAL theme, 1984 by George Orwell, MESSAGE, the moral of the story, Clint Eastwood, racism, government interference into small business, science fiction, universal ideas, difference between philosophy and science, the ending of 1984, embracing Big Brother, ORGANIC theme, author didn’t mean to do it, least contrived kind of theme, the Jewish intellectual community literary movement, Seize the Day by Saul Bellow, Malamud, Ernest Hemingway, The Matrix, Midnight in Paris, Fight Club, Sigmund Freud, book vs. movie, Chuck Pahlaniuk, Nietzsche, Memento, scene where he pays a hooker to dress like his wife and play with a hairbrush, Joey Pants, monkey stories, Identity, Guy Pierce, Inception, Borgias, Labyrinths, Christopher Nolan, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick, Oliver Stone, the theme of masks, Minority Report, free will vs. determinism, Being John Malkovich, The Orchid Thief, Adaptation, creative plots that open up themes, Gran Torino, porno, Jesus, Ayn Rand, Natural Born Killers, American History X, Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Fountainhead, Objectivism, Christian philosophers, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and the problem of representation.
1:08:29 Group discussion of member-submitted story, including fiction vs. non-fiction, style, content, thematic elements, curmudgeon as main character, line editing errors, author authority, A Renegade History of the United States by Thaddeus Russell, stream of consciousness writing and flow, details doing work, male members, hating parties, being good at being drunk, marriage, universalized themes, political themes, love story, character, back story, and potential dialectics. ]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:36:51343165Saturday Show #90: The Gift of the Magi by O. Henryhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3424
Sun, 15 Mar 2015 00:09:44 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3424For this episode, a brief discussion of irony in literature and then a performance of the classic short story, “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, the punster and trick endingster. Enjoy!For this episode, a brief discussion of irony in literature and then a performance of the classic short story, “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, the punster and trick endingster. Enjoy!]]>Frank Marcopolosyes17:33342466Saturday Show #89: 21 Down by David Sedarishttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3414
Sun, 08 Mar 2015 03:49:30 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3414You may think of David Sedaris as the smart, funny, gay writer that everyone seems to love. But he’s also something else entirely and it is *this* identity that holds the key to his phenomenal success. David Sedaris is an […]You may think of David Sedaris as the smart, funny, gay writer that everyone seems to love. But he’s also something else entirely and it is *this* identity that holds the key to his phenomenal success. David Sedaris is an […]
What is an iconoclast, anyways? Mr. Wikipedia sez: “People who engage in or support iconoclasm are called iconoclasts, a term that has come to be applied figuratively to any individual who challenges “cherished beliefs or venerated institutions on the grounds that they are erroneous or pernicious”. Conversely, one who reveres or venerates religious images is called (by iconoclasts) an iconolater; in a Byzantine context, such a person is called an iconodule or iconophile.”
It’s interesting that since the dawn of time, civilizations eventually generate cultures which end up building institutions to support those cultures. The vast majority of the citizens then love those cultural institutions…until an iconoclast appears to attack them. This iconoclast, then, can gain a large following of “anti-” people. People who are against certain aspects of the culture and their institutions. I think of Socrates undermining the fabric of ancient Greek society with his dialogues and endless questioning, of Martin Luther and his 99 problems (and a bitch wasn’t one), and of counter-culture figures of modern times like Hunter S. Thompson, Jimi Hendrix, Jackson Pollock, David Foster Wallace, and especially David Sedaris.
The Austin Writing Workshop discussed this iconoclasm as it relates to irony in literature last Friday night. I recorded it, and you can listen to the discussion as a podcast by clicking PLAY on the audio player above.
But this idea of iconoclasm also got me thinking about artists and identity in general. In the world of hip-hop music, every artist has to have a unique identity to go along with his talents. I was watching a documentary about Eminem’s label, Shady Records, and that’s essentially what they look for before signing an artist to the label. In music, I had a discussion with the band Blues Traveler recently (really — see below)
about a news article labeling them as a “jam band.” Their attitude was that if you get recognized in any way as an artist, you will then become defined and confined in a certain role. They didn’t mind it so much, but they’re one of the few successful musical acts in a sea of failed artists. I thought, too, of Hemingway’s reputation as a “tough guy” writer, David Foster Wallace as a “people’s academic,” and Stephen King as a horror writing machine.
Human beings seem to need to label, and to taxonify everything so they can keep things sorted in their minds. This being the case, I’m going to re-brand myself as the knish-eating writer. (Just kidding. Although knishes are delicious.)
In a sense, all innovators and inventers — people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, the Google dudes, the founders of Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, TaskRabbit, etc. — are iconoclasts. There’s even a new company with my friends @meggilliland and @tiffanymadison called Creative Destructors that celebrates this need to break apart the old and raise up something new. And when these new technologies start threatening traditional businesses, the trad-bizzes run to the government for more laws, more enforcement, more protection from innovation. In art, there’s less of this, since there will always be a segment of the “art market” anxiously awaiting the new new.
Of course, it sounds cool to be the rebel, the iconoclast, the lone ranger. But there’s a reason why most people don’t go that way. It’s dangerous.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes341467Saturday Show #88: Expelled by John Cheeverhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3407
Sun, 22 Feb 2015 03:56:11 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3407Read “Expelled” by clicking HERE. A modernish fairy tale? What is the traditional role of the fairy tale in human life? According to Robert Bly, “The knowledge of how to build a nest in a bare tree, how to fly […]Read “Expelled” by clicking HERE. A modernish fairy tale? What is the traditional role of the fairy tale in human life? According to Robert Bly, “The knowledge of how to build a nest in a bare tree, how to fly […]clicking HERE.
A modernish fairy tale? What is the traditional role of the fairy tale in human life? According to Robert Bly, “The knowledge of how to build a nest in a bare tree, how to fly to the wintering place, how to perform the mating dance–all of this information is stored in the reservoirs of the bird’s instinctual brain. But human beings, sensing how much flexibility they might need in meeting new situations, decided to store this sort of knowledge outside the instinctual system; they stored it in stories. Stories, then–fairy tales, legends, myths, hearth stories–amount to a reservoir where we keep new ways of responding that we can adopt when the conventional and current ways wear out.” Reflecting on the importance, then, of this style of writing, it is hard to condemn Cheever for using it in “Expelled,” especially considering the seriousness of the context within which he deploys it. The only condemnation that could come is when one realizes not that Cheever was wrong, but that his warning failed to change anything.
Unlike stories like “Huck Finn,” “The Jungle,” and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” society seems to have shrugged off young Mr. Cheever’s dire warning bell of a story, and for that, we are all worse off.
Time stamps:
0:00 Pre-intro
0:05 Promo for INFINITE ENDING by Frank Marcopolos
0:40 Intro to the podcast about the publication history of “Expelled” by John Cheever
2:20 Group analysis of “Expelled” by John Cheever, including publishing history, the story as fairy tale or fable in genre, morales, themes, messages, evidence for the fairy tale theory, fairy tale techniques, juxtaposing the natural and the man-made, repitition, context of education, Sacco and Vanzetti, anarchists, Galleani, getting expelled from school, being outside of the system, conforming to the system, being eighteen years old, teaching to the test, the Battle of Hastings, analogies, gravy-colored curtains, plot summary, Round Rock school district football stadiums, Japanese students, James Joyce, different teaching styles, World War Two, World War One, the Depression, the Red Menace, discussion of history, Communism, the story as non-fiction, author observations, ADD, following the sheep, identifying with the story, personal recollections about college, imagery, not being impressed by the story, First Fictions, Raymond Carver, being subtle with metaphor and simile, unopened details, parallels with 1984 by George Orwell, flowery language, minimalism, Hemingway, Kundera, The Unbelievable Lightness of Being, story arc, Tao Lin, Haruki Murakami, hipsters in Williamsburg, fables, finger-wagging, Exeter, Harvard, Vonnegut, sci-fi, fantasy, and the celbration of iconoclasts in society.
43:30 Group analysis of Chapter 1 of the new novel by Frank Marcopolos, including that this is a re-write, loving details, winnowing down of details, leather seats in a diner, plot summary, first-person narrative techniques, team buses with athletes pictures, raindrop symbology, making characters real, knowing girls that are crazy, repetitive langauage throughout, David Foster Wallace, rating Frank’s work against itself, baseball stories, military stories, comparison to other stories and other drafts, narrative flow, throwing a baby out a window, improved details, telling and showing in the same paragraph, pacing, Raymond Carver, revealing dialogue, rounder characters, tricky song titles, Jackson Browne, Paul Simon, narrative flow, and symbolism throughout the story.
1:35:58 Promo for INFINITE ENDING by Frank Marcopolos
1:36:34 End of Podcast
****
]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:36:35340768Saturday Show #87: Everything is Green by David Foster Wallacehttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3400
Sun, 08 Feb 2015 20:03:06 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3400The Austin Writing Workshop discusses a short story by the legendary David Foster Wallace and a member story. Wine flowed, food was consumed, and good times were had by all. Also, too: writing techniques galore, literary theory, and a wee […]The Austin Writing Workshop discusses a short story by the legendary David Foster Wallace and a member story. Wine flowed, food was consumed, and good times were had by all. Also, too: writing techniques galore, literary theory, and a wee […]
Approximate time stamps and detailed topics are listed below:
0:00 INFINITE ENDING Promo
0:37 David Foster Wallace biography from Wikipedia
1:40 Reading of “Everything is Green” by David Foster Wallace
5:27 Group analysis of “Everything is Green” by David Foster Wallace, including plot summary, grammatical messes, unreliable narrators, intentional techniques, interruption by the dogs, the ending working, symbolism of color green, Richard Ford, Rock Springs, The Sportswriter, rednecks as transcendent figures, Hemingway, rednecks in a trailer, bare bones, no narrative intrusion, internal and external, communication, Mayfly, mayfly insects, short life spans, analysis of the ending, feeling of a mood of incapacitation from drugs and alcohol, religious saying of the name of God, Yahweh, I am I, making the external real, Biblical significance of the incommunicable name, taxonomical significance, packing a lot of meaning into a small space, narrative efficiency, risking by keeping the narrative short, silhouettes in the shade, maximalism, brevity, postmodern techniques of suggesting rather than telling everything, internal monologue, grammatical choices, lack of connection between the characters, it’s all in his head, putting the character on a pedastal, redneckese as a narrative technique, INFINITE JEST, Richard Ford quitting INFINITE JEST, stream-of-consciousness, positivity, Anton Chekhov, splitting up of any thing and every thing, liking the story first, then thinking it is a contrivance, the backyard and the sink and the setting, directing sadness through laughter, sublime details, hating every story the first time around, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Murakami, authenticity, Richard Ford stealing cars, socio-economic status, recording dialogue, fiction transcending reality, schizophrenia, and Googling.
41:56 Group analysis of member story, including no title, author, page numbers, Word documents, Jester as the real-life dog named “Dexter,” inside information, learning about the main character’s life through the “love life” of the dog, conflation, non-dog people enjoying the story with a dog in the spotlight, absurd characters, writer jealousy, grammatical errors, first drafts, getting thrown out of the story, writing a story every day, plot summary, emotional stuffing, ruining relationships, Zsa Zsa Gabor’s pillow, confusion at the dog park, unnecessary characters, dog toys, character analysis, plot summary, timeline issues, liking the dog character, brutality of critiques, postmodern techniques, anthropomorphising, author as archetype, tape recording dialogue and how to use that as a technique that achieves a writing goal, THE ATHEIST, Swedish women with muscles, the torn chain-link fence, science-fiction characters named Jester, O. Henry, and The Hairbrush.
1:22:04 Conflation of David Foster Wallace and Salinger’s Glass family and tribute to DFW.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:27:47340069Saturday Show #86: Where Will All the Buildings Go? by Laura van den Berghttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3390
Sun, 25 Jan 2015 02:14:55 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3390The Austin Writing Workshop is led by a former professor of literature and philosophy at Texas State University. The group meets more-or-less weekly in Austin, Texas to improve members’ writing, drink wine, and eat gluten-free snacks. This podcast is a […]The Austin Writing Workshop is led by a former professor of literature and philosophy at Texas State University. The group meets more-or-less weekly in Austin, Texas to improve members’ writing, drink wine, and eat gluten-free snacks.
Specific details and approximate time stamps are below:
0:00 Introduction to the Podcast
0:37 Group analysis of “Where Will All the Buildings Go?” by Laura van den Berg, including finding the story, Open Culture, the story as an example of a young literary writer, having the same credentials, MFAs, the story is not serious, Austin Community College, getting the workshop accredited, where the story was published, lambasting it, the writing being weak, Fight Club thematic structure, The Babysitter by Coover, pseudosurrealism, Edward Norton, sleeping in the basement, Tyler Durden, character description, plot summary, Synocdoche New York, pursuing dreams in your spare time, crazy people, losing one’s mind, criticizing the plot, designing parking structures, pee in the stairwells, schizophrenia, wearing a mask, criticizing a literary story, ending with an elephant, architecture and structure and buildings, a blank piece of paper, the clues, deconstruction, zombies, online literary magazines, FSG, living in North Brooklyn, Williamsburgh, MFA stories, theme being so subtle you can’t describe it in one sentence, finding your style, putting together craft, appeasing professors, the progress of a writer, Emerson College, Plowshares, Glimmer Train, Tao Lin, and Haruki Murakami.
24:05 Group analysis of a member story, including being derivative of van den Berg, novel vs. short story, tightness of the piece, thematically discussing free will, freedom, conflation zoo animals and human animals, hippo criminals, murdering hippos, psychopathic hippos, psychopath vs. sociopath, the trapped nature of humanity, all the constraints of culture and of the five senses, birds as a symbol of freedom, choice of details, ice cream cones, meaning of conflation, Albert Camus, suicide, Hills Like White Elephants, coming to a conclusion, the intelligent reader, justifying the criticism, pointing to the text as evidence, subconscious writing, the misery of confinement, choices we make, marriage and suicide, debate about the meaning of the word present, Fabbio, the proper evidence for the theme, lobsters, penguins, Jacques Derrida, no Internet in Saint Louis, stingray petting pools, piranha petting pools, combining reality and fiction, verisimilitude, veritas, authenticity, marriage and death, the average reader, Samira’s story, the greatest writer of all time in Pakistani history, the Pulitzer Prize, getting the details correct, the invention of the ice cream cones, and Chicago’s trains.
1:07:14 End of Podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:07:14339070Saturday Show #85: Today’s Special by David Sedarishttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3378
Sun, 18 Jan 2015 00:54:51 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3378What can we do with humor in literature? Listen to this episode of Saturday Show as the Austin Writing Workshop discusses the finer points of comedic writing and much, much more. 0:00 Introduction to Podcast 0:39 Reading of “Today’s Special” […]What can we do with humor in literature? Listen to this episode of Saturday Show as the Austin Writing Workshop discusses the finer points of comedic writing and much, much more. 0:00 Introduction to Podcast 0:39 Reading of “Today’s Special” […]
0:00 Introduction to Podcast
0:39 Reading of “Today’s Special” by David Sedaris
6:00 Group discussion of “Today’s Special,” including likeability, Sedaris’s biographical information, farmer’s, FarmersOnly.com dating site, farmers porn, single in the country, microniche, rednecks, Bones TV show, Moonshiners, sports, eHarmony, not being dateable, rejection by an entire dating site, the artifice of Sedaris, lack of technique, intuitive writing, racoon teachers, Jim Robison, Anne Robison, “Prett Ice,” being a lazy teacher, writing comedy stories, University of Houston, cheating at sports, political subtext, service industry, invisible techniques, maturing as a writer, culture, making fun of high culture, surprises, aspirin sauce, goofy dishes, the definition of art, inspiration, Lichtenstein Bobsled Team, Facebook, Fat by Raymond Carver, The Art of the Tale by Daniel Halpern, chalk sauce, hot dogs, vegans, filthy water dogs, and making sausage.
30:23 Group discussion of a member’s story, including explanation of a master’s thesis, works from 15 years ago, stopping to do comedy, size of the lens, lack of likeability of the main characters, telling and showing in the same paragraph, Saint Louis, trees, the great lines not connected, Annie LaMott, chattering voices, all the ugly cities, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Austin, San Antonio, Seattle, New Orleans, San Francisco, New York City, Disnification, overuse of the word Interesting, ending of the piece, slingshot technique, confusing the narratives, Woody Allen, Socrates, hemlock, being too clever, misogyny, Henry Miller, large breasts, running over mentally disabled people with a vehicle, Genghis Khan outlook on life, David Mamet, the sound of the sentences, singing the story, dialogue, having a foil, discussion of PLOT, literary vs. genre writers, George Saunders, plot through the iterative process, intuitive writing, The Glass Swan, plot structuring, cold editing, The Babysitter, Robert Coover, cut-and-paste fiction, translating Cory/Bory/Roazbear, linear storytelling, multiple perspectives, not knowing reality anyway, the jerks living in New York, absurdity in character, Women by Charles Bukowski, freedom of action, believability issues, archetypes in literature, and The Shipping News by Annie Proulx.
1:19:33 End of Podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:19:36337871Saturday Show #84: Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingwayhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3374
Sun, 11 Jan 2015 23:16:10 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3374This episode of the podcast features a performance of the short story “Cat in the Rain” by Ernest Hemingway. Also, a discussion of literary techniques follows by the Austin Writing Workshop, wherein Hemingway’s style is contrasted with that of workshop […]This episode of the podcast features a performance of the short story “Cat in the Rain” by Ernest Hemingway. Also, a discussion of literary techniques follows by the Austin Writing Workshop, wherein Hemingway’s style is contrasted with that of workshop...
0:00 “Cat in the Rain” by Ernest Hemingway
6:53 Intro to the Podcast
7:41 Group discussion about “Cat in the Rain” by Ernest Hemingway, including whether Frank’s new story is a continuation of his novel “Almost Home,” the longing to have a child, concern for animals in the rain, cats as utilitarianism, plot summary, face tightening, inconguity, the maid finding the cat, symbolism, hopes for a child transferred to a cat, Hemingway’s love of cats, cat love in general, being a cat lady, rabbits, the big cats, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, “Hills Like White Elephants,” comparing Hemingway’s style to Marcopolos’s style, definition of style, dry realism, honing the craft of style, polar opposites of the expectations of writing, lyricism, singing the prose, speaking the prose, the sound of the words, aesthetics, staccato paragraphs, David Mamet, Raymond Carver, West Wing, Aaron Sorkin, the walk-and-talk dialogue, Mamet v. Sorkin, New Yorkese, examples from the story, sentences trying to do very little, the reader’s mind to do more of the poetry, comparison to Vladimir Nabokov, baroque and flowery and decorative writing, bauhaus, Ayn Rand, Frank Lloyd Wright, artistry to plain prose, Tao Lin, porn, distracting words, Nabokov poetry, slippery salamanders, more critiques of Marcopolos’s style, sentence structure, camera angle fiction, carefully chosen details, colors, glistening, all elements of the story working together, varying reader experiences in stories, developed ability vs. innate talent, intuitive writing, thematic elements, critique of American society as opposed to Italian society, lessons in making a few small things go a long way in a story, comparison of reading eras, nothing happened or everything happened at the end, Hills Like White Elephants again, abortions, and INFINITE ENDING by Frank Marcopolos.
37:07 Group discussion of the beginning of a novel by Frank Marcopolos, including comparison to Hemingway story, word choices, doors closing in expensive cars, Derridaean deconstructionism of the story, the definition of grime, getting thrown out of the story, vitality of first paragraph, more deconstructionism of the narrative, not understanding the sound of cleats on dirt, word choice, being careful about picking details, overusing irrelevant details, flibbertygibbets, wiggily wavered, having to pee, the pee detail, the equivalence of importance for certain details, trite characters, introductory writing in chapter 1, making the reader catch up, telling vs. showing early in the novel, Name of the Rose, Name of the Rose board game, the Enlightenment, the Inquisition, monasteries, foreboding towers, monks, the first chapter seeming like a first chapter, The Sportswriter by Richard Ford, the slingshot method of storytelling, Heroes, Save the Cheerleader Save the World, Atlas Shrugged, and red leather or plastic seats in the diner.
1:15:10 End of Podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:15:13337472Saturday Show #81: Why I Transformed Myself Into a Nightingale by Wolfgang Hildesheimerhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3347
Sun, 21 Dec 2014 03:15:20 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3347As you might expect, this episode opens with a discussion of Pyrrhonean Skepticism and its ancient Greek opponent, Dogmatism. The group discusses the parallels between that dynamic and the current dynamic between Modenism and Postmodernism. We then discuss the short […]As you might expect, this episode opens with a discussion of Pyrrhonean Skepticism and its ancient Greek opponent, Dogmatism. The group discusses the parallels between that dynamic and the current dynamic between Modenism and Postmodernism.
Further details and approximate time stamps are below. Please purchase INFINITE ENDING: TEN STORIES by Frank Marcopolos as an e-book, paperback, or audiobook by clicking this very link. Thank you.
0:00 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
1:47 Group discussion of Philosophy, including Pyrrhonean Skepticism, Dogmatism, Modernism, Postmodernism, epistomology, Socrates, the Sophists, corrupting the youth, being a contrarian, the Socratic method, arguments being as good as your questions, knowing or not knowing what reality actually is, putting people to death for knowing truth, Margaret Sanger, anarchists, the true meaning of anarchy, decentralization, and democracy vs. anarchy.
7:16 Group discussion of “Why I Transformed Myself Into a Nightingale” by Wolfgang Hildesheimer, including not hating it, being intrigued by the narrative, animals keeping your attention, turtles, plot summary, the superiority of animal life to human life, the Self, wanting to changing others and changing yourself, Egotism, waiting on line in the supermarket, Laertes, Ophelia, Polonius, Gildenstern, Romeo & Juliet, William Shakespeare, changing things back to their original form, sparrows, suspension of disbelief, Moralism, the purpose of art, Ayn Rand, Ghandi, Up with People, Pay It Forward, Abe Lincoln, Sentimentalism, David Foster Wallace, YouTube, academia, carnival barkers, the postmodernist’s dilemma, suicide, hating one’s boss and employee, fairy tales, comedy, toy fox terriers, animation, aesthetic preferences being incorrect, rotoscoping, Keanu Reeves, Spirited Away, a 15-year-old’s approach to art, Kafka, Metamorphasis, Adam 12, plotless postmodernistic stories, left-brained and right-brained, fantasy, Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami, Schenectady, Lost in Translation, American academia and postmodernism, The Yellow Wallpaper, public domain, German translation, annoying neighbors, flying away, Neo, Conrad Lorenz, caging different kinds of animals, Metamorphasis as political, rule-based systems, speciesism, stpry arc, Richard Ford, Rock Springs, the Goldmine, the Monkey, the ethics of animals, extolling the choices of non-agencies, total and complete natural freedom, Thoreau, living in nature, absolute power, packing a lot into 4 pages, numenal-phenomenal Kantian drawings, the writing group’s forthcoming Facebook page, Margaret Atwood, Hair Jewelery, adding dimension to the story, Raymond Carver, and magic realism vs. real life.
38:30 Group discussion of a member’s story, including Frank Marcopolos’s “fans” who don’t actually exist, the habits of strippers, court-reporting school, too much going on, where the story begins, simplification, everything being based on a true story, Story Bible, confusing the story Bible with the story itself, Victorian novels, plot summary, too much telling, not enough showing, novel pacing vs. short story pacing, the sound of stories, “Conversing” – Story #2 in INFINITE ENDING by Frank Marcopolos,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes334773Saturday Show #80: Conflation by Frank Marcopolos, part of the new collection INFINITE ENDINGhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3331
Sat, 13 Dec 2014 23:35:15 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3331On this episode of the podcast, we discuss how to determine if something is art or entertainment, the main philosophical points of Immanuel Kant, the differences between the literary genres of modernism and postmodernism, “Conflation” by Frank Marcopolos, and “Peter […]On this episode of the podcast, we discuss how to determine if something is art or entertainment, the main philosophical points of Immanuel Kant, the differences between the literary genres of modernism and postmodernism,INFINITE ENDING, which can be purchased by clicking this very link.
Approximate time stamps and general topics of discussion are listed below:
0:00 Frank’s intro to the podcast, including a clever pitch to entice you into buying INFINITE ENDING: TEN STORIES
2:39 General group discussion, including an experience with an Austin-loving woman, themoth.org, oral storytelling, different art forms, Spaulding Gray, spoken word, poetry being too subjective, what it means to do art, what it means when a society doesn’t know the difference between entertainment and art, review of the stories performed recently in Austin Texas, professional storytelling and art, Story Core, objective rules of art forms, Bruno Kirby’s oratory skills, Howard Stern, Wallace Shawn, Bill Hicks, stand-up comedy, Synanon, therapy, being a show-off, art vs. entertainment (again), genre writing, expectations of the performances, Austin vs. New York art scenes, story about female rights and China’s cultural attitudes toward women, Christmas cake, sentimental crap, Duchamp and the urinal in a museum, Campbell’s soup can as art, Crabby Appleton, complaining about the complainable, the craft movement, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, academics’ ability to judge the rules of art, sentimentality vs. emotionality, melodrama, mawkishness, maudlin, marriages breaking up, more on the China lady’s story, Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, David Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, driving on the Pacific Coast Highway, and Serial podcast.
30:46 Group discussion of article on Modernism and Postmodernism, including the confidence of modernism, materialism, numenal, phenomenal, Kant, phenomenology, this bottle is apprehended phenomenologically, Kant’s argument for God, objectivism, subjectivism, Socrates, the Socratic method, killing Socrates, Lacan the French neo-Freudian, the subconscious reaction to the unknowable, Nietzsche, Western and Eastern philosophy, gnosticism, Elphius Levi, Martin Buber, Spinoza, Swindberg, Thomas Aquinas, Kierkegaard, John Stuart Mill, Einstein, Foucault, structuralism, post-structuralism, Passion of the Western Mind, Sophie’s World, Will Durant – The History of Philosophy, Swerve by Greenblatt, Terence McKenna’s podcast, getting out of the limits of our 5 senses, DMT, ayahuasca, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson, mescaline, Buddhists, transcendental meditation, science as a way to understand reality, Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, science as a narrowing down of philosophy, The Matrix, reality as everything being an illusion, Hume, “Nothing is 100% true,” Ayn Rand, pragmatism, heart transplants, epigenetics, Jules Verne, higher consciousness, Robert Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Childhood’s End, autistic children, TMI, modernism (again), making it new in art, postmodernism is a recycling of old things, postmodernism acknowledges this recycling, going to the moon, Stanley Kubrick, what art truly is, wasted genius, practice and flow, being a craftsman, flash mobs, Roland Barthe, deconstructing, social objects, Heraclitus, the relativity of time, Heigel, World War 2, technology in culture, Starbucks, making the world smaller, and impatience.
1:11:21 Group discussion of yes1:23:35333174Infinite Ending Sample #1: Eroticoffica by Frank Marcopoloshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3323
Sun, 07 Dec 2014 22:43:16 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3323A sample from the story “Eroticoffica” by Frank Marcopolos, from his new collection, INFINITE ENDING: TEN STORIES.A sample from the story “Eroticoffica” by Frank Marcopolos, from his new collection, INFINITE ENDING: TEN STORIES.INFINITE ENDING: TEN STORIES.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes3:32332375Saturday Show #79: Peter Elroy: A Documentary by Ian Casey by Elizabeth McCrackenhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3319
Sun, 30 Nov 2014 09:05:47 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3319This episode features a group discussion of whether writers should go independent or take the academic route to achieve success; plus, the subjectivity and objectivity of art and life, including how to properly judge works of art via objective rules. […]This episode features a group discussion of whether writers should go independent or take the academic route to achieve success; plus, the subjectivity and objectivity of art and life, including how to properly judge works of art via objective rules. […]
More specific topics of discussion are listed and time-stamped below:
0:00 Group analysis of “Peter Elroy: A Documentary by Ian Casey” by Elizabeth McCracken, including mood of the story, triteness, story depth, complexity of the story’s issues, Grad School, kissing people’s asses, academia, pissing the chair or dean off, a crazy anecdotal story from the world of Academia, The Emporer Has No Clothes, the value of being independent in the literary world, going straight to the readers, long-term plans, books about dogs, Marley and Me, following trends, Annie Dillard, trying not to die before achieving success, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest, magnum opus, military discipline, Ernest Hemingway, everyone in Texas having a gun, shooting dogs as literary deadline motivation, guidos from the block, table dances, DisneyWorld, cruises, good dialogue, ridiculous attitude of the main character, sentence structure, pretentiousness of the story, cleverness, experimental writing, Hemingway again, Chuck Palahniak, coming to grips with existentialism, taking postmodernism too far, flashbacks, remarkable characters, likeability of narrative voice, profundity, The Hunger Games, Hemingway again, lack of plots in postmodernism, the more free you get the more enslaved you are, sitting-in-bars stories, lack of goldmines and monkeys and bank robberies, Annie Hall, postmodernism as a freedom-enabling genre, objective criteria vs subjective judgments, ayahuasca, Hunter S. Thompson, Pacobelle’s cannon, F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, World War II soldiers, singing in church, good and bad relationships, Philosophy Live!, depression, everyone is going to die–or are they?, brain in a jar, John Lennon, going from one car to another, Ancient Aliens, objective rules for art, Natalie Portman, Mikhail Berishnikov, the thing in itself, Plato, the essence of table vs. a table, first cause arguments, Monads, materialism, thinking about philosophy as a kid, being trained into cultural aspects, and risk management.
41:45 Group analysis of “Conflation” by Frank Marcopolos, including the writer being in trouble, double-spacing, dissing the author in absentia, looking like a teacher, trying to write poetry, the Valhalla story, ruining this story, hiding the good story in the bad one, stylization of the story, experimentalism, fragmentation, practicing with exercises, real life as an adventure, realism, aesthetics as ONLY aesthetics, Phillip Levine, poets making themselves popular, the lack of standards in poetry, Chuck Palahniak again, mind/body/spirit/other, Jacob’s Ladder, subjective v. objective again, right-brained thinkers, emotionality, the good aspects of the story, Tim O’Brien, Hemingway again, Texas State University, The Things They Carried, vernacular crap, “the monkey in the story,” Richard Ford, the story as a sculpture, anecdotes about stalkers, gold-digging, and Kurt Vonnegut.
1:11:14 “Promotion” for INFINITE ENDING: TEN STORIES.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:12:15331976Saturday Show #78: Scheherazade by Haruki Murakamihttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3312
Mon, 17 Nov 2014 00:38:48 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3312In this episode of Saturday Show, the Austin Writing Workshop discusses the short story “Scheherazade” by Haruki Murakami, plus a member-submitted story entitled, “Automobile Days.” An audiobook-like performance of “Automobile Days” is included. From the Wikipedia: Haruki Murakami (村上 春樹 […]In this episode of Saturday Show, the Austin Writing Workshop discusses the short story “Scheherazade” by Haruki Murakami, plus a member-submitted story entitled, “Automobile Days.” An audiobook-like performance of “Automobile Days” is included.
From the Wikipedia:
Haruki Murakami (村上 春樹 Murakami Haruki?, born January 12, 1949) is a contemporary Japanese writer. Murakami has been translated into 50 languages and his best-selling books have sold millions of copies.
His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards, both in Japan and internationally, including the World Fantasy Award (2006) and the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award (2006), while his oeuvre received among others the Franz Kafka Prize (2006) and the Jerusalem Prize (2009). Murakami’s most notable works include A Wild Sheep Chase (1982), Norwegian Wood (1987), The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994-1995), Kafka on the Shore (2002), and 1Q84 (2009–2010). He has also translated a number of English works into Japanese, from Raymond Carver to J. D. Salinger.
Murakami’s fiction, still criticized by Japan’s literary establishment as un-Japanese, was influenced by Western writers from Chandler to Vonnegut by way of Brautigan. It is frequently surrealistic and melancholic or fatalistic, marked by a Kafkaesque rendition of the “recurrent themes of alienation and loneliness” he weaves into his narratives. He is also considered an important figure in postmodern literature. Steven Poole of The Guardian praised Murakami as “among the world’s greatest living novelists” for his works and achievements.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes2:09:18331277Saturday Show #77: The Tryst by Joyce Carol Oateshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3307
Sat, 08 Nov 2014 02:29:54 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3307The Austin Writing Workshop discusses “The Tryst” by Joyce Carol Oates. From Wikipedia: Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over forty novels, as well […]The Austin Writing Workshop discusses “The Tryst” by Joyce Carol Oates. From Wikipedia: Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over forty novels, as well […]
From Wikipedia:
Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over forty novels, as well as a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. She has won many awards for her writing, including the National Book Award,[1] for her novel them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, and the National Humanities Medal. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000) were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.
Oates has taught at Princeton University since 1978 and is currently the Roger S. Berlind ’52 Professor in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing.
Oates was born in Lockport, New York. She is the eldest of three children of Carolina (née Bush), a homemaker of Hungarian descent,[3][4] and Frederic James Oates, a tool and die designer.[3][5] She was raised Catholic but is now atheist.[6] Her brother, Fred Jr., was born in 1943, and her sister, Lynn Ann, who is severely autistic, was born in 1956.[3] Oates grew up in the working-class farming community of Millersport, New York,[7] and characterized hers as “a happy, close-knit and unextraordinary family for our time, place and economic status”.[3] Her paternal grandmother, Blanche Woodside, lived with the family and was “very close” to Joyce.[7] After Blanche’s death, Joyce learned that Blanche’s father had killed himself, and Blanche had subsequently concealed her Jewish heritage; Oates eventually drew on aspects of her grandmother’s life in writing the novel The Gravedigger’s Daughter (2007).[7]
Oates attended the same one-room school her mother attended as a child.[3] She became interested in reading at an early age and remembers Blanche’s gift of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) as “the great treasure of my childhood, and the most profound literary influence of my life. This was love at first sight!”[8] In her early teens, she devoured the writing of Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Fyodor Dostoevsky, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and Henry David Thoreau, whose “influences remain very deep”.[9] Oates began writing at the age of 14, when Blanche gave her a typewriter.[7] Oates later transferred to several bigger, suburban schools[3] and graduated from Williamsville South High School in 1956, where she worked for her high school newspaper.[citation needed] She was the first in her family to complete high school.[3]
Oates earned a scholarship to attend Syracuse University, where she joined Phi Mu.[10] Oates found Syracuse “a very exciting place academically and intellectually”, and trained herself by “writing novel after novel and always throwing them out when I completed them.”[11] It was not until this point that Oates began reading the work of Franz Kafka, D. H. Lawrence, Thomas Mann, and Flannery O’Connor though, she noted, “these influences are still quite strong, pervasive.”[9] At the age of 19, she won the “college short story” contest sponsored by Mademoiselle. Oates graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in English as valedictorian in 1960[12] and received her M.A. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1961. She was a Ph.D. student at Rice University when she made the decision to become a full-time writer.[13]
Evelyn Shrifte, president of the Vanguard Press, met Oates soon after Oates received her master’s degree. “She was fresh out of school, and I thought she was a genius”, Shrifte said. Vanguard published Oates’ first book, the short-story collection By the North Gate, in 1963.[14]
Career

The Vanguard Press published Oates’ first novel,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes36:40330778Saturday Show #76: The Hortlak by Kelly Link (Part 2)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3302
Sat, 01 Nov 2014 09:21:41 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3302For more from the great Kelly Link, please click here. From Wikipedia: Kelly Link (born 1969) is an American editor and author of short stories.[3] While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many of her stories […]For more from the great Kelly Link, please click here. From Wikipedia: Kelly Link (born 1969) is an American editor and author of short stories.[3] While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many of her stories […]click here.
From Wikipedia:
Kelly Link (born 1969) is an American editor and author of short stories.[3] While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many of her stories might be described as slipstream or magic realism: a combination of science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and realism. Among other honors, she has won a Hugo award, three Nebula awards, and a World Fantasy Award for her fiction.
Link is a graduate of Columbia University in New York and the MFA program of UNC Greensboro. In 1995, she attended the Clarion East Writing Workshop.
Link and husband Gavin Grant manage Small Beer Press, based in Northampton, Massachusetts. The couple’s imprint of Small Beer Press for intermediate readers is called Big Mouth House. They also co-edited St. Martin’s Press’s Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror anthology series with Ellen Datlow for five years, ending in 2008. (The couple inherited the “fantasy” side from Terri Windling in 2004.) Link was also the slush reader for Sci Fiction, edited by Datlow.
Link taught at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina, with the Visiting Writers Series for spring semester 2006. She has taught or visited at a number of schools and workshops including Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, New Jersey; the Imagination Workshop at Cleveland State University; New England Institute of Art & Communications, Brookline, Massachusetts; Clarion East at Michigan State University; Clarion West in Seattle, Washington; and Smith College, near her home in Northampton. She has participated in the Juniper Summer Writing Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s MFA Program for Poets & Writers.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes30:59330279Saturday Show #75: The Hortlak by Kelly Link (Part 1)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3299
Sat, 25 Oct 2014 17:13:07 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3299More Kelly Linkness? Kelly’s website can be accessed by clicking this very link. From Wikipedia: Kelly Link (born 1969) is an American editor and author of short stories.[3] While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many […]More Kelly Linkness? Kelly’s website can be accessed by clicking this very link. From Wikipedia: Kelly Link (born 1969) is an American editor and author of short stories.[3] While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many […]Kelly’s website can be accessed by clicking this very link.
From Wikipedia:
Kelly Link (born 1969) is an American editor and author of short stories.[3] While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many of her stories might be described as slipstream or magic realism: a combination of science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and realism. Among other honors, she has won a Hugo award, three Nebula awards, and a World Fantasy Award for her fiction.
Link is a graduate of Columbia University in New York and the MFA program of UNC Greensboro. In 1995, she attended the Clarion East Writing Workshop.
Link and husband Gavin Grant manage Small Beer Press, based in Northampton, Massachusetts. The couple’s imprint of Small Beer Press for intermediate readers is called Big Mouth House. They also co-edited St. Martin’s Press’s Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror anthology series with Ellen Datlow for five years, ending in 2008. (The couple inherited the “fantasy” side from Terri Windling in 2004.) Link was also the slush reader for Sci Fiction, edited by Datlow.
Link taught at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina, with the Visiting Writers Series for spring semester 2006. She has taught or visited at a number of schools and workshops including Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, New Jersey; the Imagination Workshop at Cleveland State University; New England Institute of Art & Communications, Brookline, Massachusetts; Clarion East at Michigan State University; Clarion West in Seattle, Washington; and Smith College, near her home in Northampton. She has participated in the Juniper Summer Writing Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s MFA Program for Poets & Writers.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes30:04329980Saturday Show #74: CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saundershttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3283
Sun, 12 Oct 2014 23:20:44 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3283Live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, a grad-level fiction writing meet-up held in Austin, TX. Approximate timestamps and topics are below. 0:00 Excerpt from “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” written by George Saunders, performed by Frank Marcopolos 1:56 Frank’s introduction […]Live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, a grad-level fiction writing meet-up held in Austin, TX. Approximate timestamps and topics are below. 0:00 Excerpt from “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” written by George Saunders,
0:00 Excerpt from “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” written by George Saunders, performed by Frank Marcopolos
1:56 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
5:21 Workshop analysis of a draft of the short story, “Eroticoffica” by Frank Marcopolos, including the theme of Rules, rules of storytelling and postmodern literary fiction, comedy of the story, accuracy of the sound of the dialogue, coffee rules, Austin’s coffee culture, the cult of the Castle, rules of the writing cult, erotica, pure enjoyment derived from the story, purpose of the footnotes (Track Changes), “hawt,” funny elements of the story, David Foster Wallace, “Infinite Jest,” explanation of words via Track Changes, options for using Track Changes, “The Place,” definitions of postmodernism, flatness, blending together of the two main characters, dialogue accuracy, writing in the style of an erotica story, sidebars, teasers of really good things, need for more conflict, white eyeshadow and lipstick, facility of the author with a change in writing style, understanding the narrator, enjoyable style, re-writing, sentence clarity and readability, flow, self-indulgence, winning over a non-postmodern audience, “trite” as an unfair criticism, gimmicks, surface theme, constriction of rules, the creative freedom, length of the piece, developing the right details of the story, the guy with his dick in the board, sex in the 1960s, side-notes as real stories, lack of clarity about setting, sci-fi, Kindle Millionaires, Joe Konrath, Amanda Hocking, characters with opposing characteristics, the intro, setting up a bunch of mistakes, experimental techniques, genre of postmodernism, relativism, flippy language, dry realism professors, Richard Ford, theme, Ernest Hemingway, pop and literary genre, George Saunders, short story classes in college, accepted academic stories and ones that are not, hating the story less the second time through, the thing that stands out being the dick in the board, story lacking hope or emotion, alt lit, Tao Lin, traditional techniques, blanching of the story, defending Frank as opposed to tearing him down, “trite” dialogue, gangster dialogue, “Whatevs,” story being easier to critique, unnecessary dialogue, being the bearer of good news, Michael Ward, Frank’s other stories, adventure stories, tarboosh, Track Changes coming in late, setting up expectations and then upsetting expectations, anything goes for postmodernism, the carrot of the marsh mallow at the end, discursiveness, rules for reasons, researching the origins of marsh mallows, Egypt, socially-enforced rules, juxtaposing two different positions, subtlety, foil for the marsh mallow, throw-away thoughts, the masculine principle and the feminine principle, subconscious ideas, authentic dialogue, too-authentic dialogue, fictional dialogue, and talking noises.
43:08 Workshop analysis of another member’s story, including huffing, Bukowski, Huffington Post, brain cells, enjoyment of the story, theme of class warfare, isolation and loneliness, understanding the era of the story, 1963, narrator ages, obsession with old money, Hawaii, the Hamptons, character empathy, shadows of grief, religion, hula shows, Nancy Drew quotes, Sherlock Holmes, gatekeepers, depth of the story, plot summary, boredom, getting felt up, variation of sentence length, confusing syntax, MLA Style Guide, fragments, The Elements of Style, Strunk and White, Chicago Manual of Style, editors, grade school in the 1800s, baronnesses, Hawaii as a state, Tahiti, rich people, old-money islanders, 1960’s airline-flight clothing, pilots, wearing wings, cookies, stale peanuts, and comedians on the P.A.
1:02:41 Workshop analysis of “CivilWarLand ...]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:38:49328381Saturday Show #73: Women by Charles Bukowski (Part 3)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3279
Sun, 05 Oct 2014 10:30:37 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3279Saturday Show Podcast is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, a graduate-level fiction writing workshop focused on literary fiction and led by a former professor of literature and philosophy. In this episode, the group discusses the methods of […]Saturday Show Podcast is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, a graduate-level fiction writing workshop focused on literary fiction and led by a former professor of literature and philosophy. In this episode,
0:00 Excerpt from “Women” by Charles Bukowski
5:32 Frank’s intro to the podcast
6:23 Group discussion of “Women” by Charles Bukowski, including a brief discussion of the movie “Bliss,” waiting for the amazing plot turn, the theme of customs being bad, Portlandia skits about the devil, some plot summary, keeping track of all the women, repitition, broader questions about what the project is trying to do, Bukowski’s fame, fiction vs. poetry, comparison to Henry Miller and Ernest Hemingway, intentional lack of poetry, size of words, slippery salamanders of fate, popularity in Europe, tolerance of offensive materials, lewdness vs. art, American prudeishness, what is art?, Arthur Danto, aesthetics in art, Jasper Johns, the urinal piece of art, Duchamp, objective rules and criteria of artworks, measuring experiences of visual art, relativising, core of themes, Hunter S. Thompson, unreliable narrators, interviews with Bukowski, “Born into This” documentary, filtered realism, the tape recorder method, character arc of Chinaski, “Spring in Fialta” by Vladimir Nabokov, “Farewell to Arms,” Jim’s novel written for Texas State University, theme and surface events, universality of art, vomiting as a symbol, Chinaski’s blackheads, outting the real inside of Bukowski onto the page, literary decadence, Celine, Bukowski defending the novel, the screwed up moral culture, Friedrich Nietzsche, vulnerable and undercut characters, defining “undercut”, remembering Theresa, talking about how bad Chinaski is in bed, oral sex, the use of alcohol to get to the true Chinaski/Bukowski, George Martin,high-functioning alcoholics, being anti-Disney and Mickey Mouse, identity revelation, skin comfort, Bukowski’s upbringing and physical handicaps including grotesque ugliness, acne vulgaris, not trusting men with clean houses, recognizing insanity, Liza Williams, Elton John, hooking up with millions of women, German or Swedish twins, traits of childhood violence, Cory’s therapy session, getting tiresome, Thomas Pynchon, yeast infections, Henry Miller and his bicycle, the elitism of punctuation and rules, The Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O’Toole, the influence of Bukowski, David Sedaris drunk vs. David Sedaris sober, writing 4-5 stories a week, the theater version of Confederacy of Dunces, Steven Soderberg, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Edward Zick, Will Ferrell, Zach Galifaniakis, suicide as an awards strategy, Jack Black, “Bernie,” porking up for a role, depressing movies, Melacholia, Ayn Rand Reference #1, and research mavens.
47:51 Group discussion of the member story, including loving the story, “The Crying of Lot 49” by Thomas Pynchon, artificial lakes, “Slaughterhouse 5” by Kurt Vonnegut, modern cities and commerce, Texas-bashing, hating Austin, tigers and Mike Tyson and tattoos on your face, moving to rural Illinois, East Saint Louis, going back to New York, Nero, green dust, the lake that sucks people under, black humor, second draft, awkward grammar, confusing narrative style, logistical issues, Thomas Pynchon, Cory’s dirty mind, realistic parts of the story, “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace, “Idiocracy,” the historical figure of Nero, the symbolism of marrying one’s horse or the Eiffel Tower...]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:51:06327982Saturday Show #72: Women by Charles Bukowski (Part 2)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3275
Sun, 21 Sep 2014 14:23:59 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3275Saturday Show is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, a grad-level fiction-writing workshop led by a former professor of literature and philosophy. The group aims to improve their craft of writing literary stories, within which can be explored […]Saturday Show is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, a grad-level fiction-writing workshop led by a former professor of literature and philosophy. The group aims to improve their craft of writing literary stories,
A listing of the topics covered along with approximate timestamps are provided below.
0:00 Excerpt from a draft of “Valhalla House” by Frank Marcopolos
2:38 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
5:48 Group discussion of the movie “Bliss,” including being able to stay with the movie the whole way, happy endings, Netflix, other Bliss movies, two cartoon squirrels, subtitles, Merlot, message-based movies, Nietzsche, morality is slavery to custom, the movie changing, defying customs, the YUPPIE professor, waiting for the great plot twist, the story not turning quickly enough, checking out of the movie, drab cinematography, The Wizard of Oz, Gilligan’s Island, the professor’s boat, Turkish Gilligan’s Island, almost hanging herself, knowing the whole movie in 5 minutes, struggling with the customs he grew up with, character development, intuitive narration, flash forwards, changing the pacing of a story, Momento, The English Patient, linear storytelling, predictable stories, lack of need for dialogue, real acting, heavy-handedness, cardboard characters, surprise ending, the number of characters trying to have sex with the main character, flocks of sheep, hurdles, different perspectives and cultures, random fish jobs, sailing around the world, suddenly deciding to become philosophy majors at University, Scottish independence, screen formatting, the lack of Hollywood glam, and female frumpiness.
26:55 Group discussion of the novel “Women”by Charles Bukowski, including guiding the group with weekly topics, “Born Into This” documentary about Charles Bukowski, autobiography, reality TV, the crazy crap of Chinaski, Harvey Pekar, American Splendor comic book series, R. Crumb, Ralph Steadman, Hunter S. Thompson, specific sexuality, grossness of the narrative, graphic nature of the novel, Marie Calloway, Marla Singer, Tao Lin, recycling Charles Bukowski material, gross and good parts of sex, lizard-beings, descriptions of the vagina and clitoris, the fact that there are no lines, blackheads and pimples, God, drinking like mad, voyeuristic quality of the novel, Barfly, capturing drunkenness on film, likeability of Charles Bukowski/Henry Chinaski, iconoclasticness, sympathetic quality of Chinaski, characters being open with their bodies, double standards, toxic relationships, misandry, stabbing a guy right in the face, managing your main character, undercutting of the character, alcoholism, Woody Allen, stand-up comedy, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Sherlock, Chinaski undercutting himself, audiences laughing at the wrong places during readings, humor, darkness, throwing up every five minutes, Barf-ly, Leaving Las Vegas, the absurdity of character vs. believability, truth stranger than fiction, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, round characters, vicarious living, Trainspotting, Requiem for a Dream, Vanilla Sky, Obre Los Ojos, Aronovsky, The Fountain, Jennifer Connally, rewatching movies, visceral stories, Almost Famous, brilliant minds, the tree of knowledge and the tree of life, Black Swan, meth ads, Werner Herzog movie on texting, laws against driving, Austin City Council banning everything including plastic bags, Austin traffic, the trappings of fame, fame as a character’s problem, mundane or trite situations, Chinaski’s ugliness, the Olson twins, Cory’s perversions and many husbands, Elizabeth Taylor, serial monogamy, co-dependence,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:46:16327583Saturday Show #71: Women by Charles Bukowski (Part 1)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3268
Sun, 14 Sep 2014 15:17:13 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3268Saturday Show Podcast is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, which is a grad-level fiction writing workshop led by a former professor of literature and philosophy. In this episode, the group examines the issue of autobiography in fiction […]Saturday Show Podcast is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, which is a grad-level fiction writing workshop led by a former professor of literature and philosophy. In this episode, the group examines the issue of autobiography in fiction […]Austin Writing Workshop, which is a grad-level fiction writing workshop led by a former professor of literature and philosophy. In this episode, the group examines the issue of autobiography in fiction as a technique to engage the reader. This topic is examined via the first 20 pages or so of the novel “Women” by Charles Bukowski. The movie “The Fountain” and a group member’s submitted story are also critiqued. A more detailed topic list (along with approximate timestamps) is provided below.
0:00 Excerpt from “Women” by Charles Bukowski
1:56 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
5:01 Group discussion about the format of the writing workshop, including expanding to include critiques of novel submissions, elements of the novel, Jorge Luis Borges quote on short stories, plotting, discursiveness, pathways of the novel, importance of details, sublime choices, building character, Ernest Hemingway, depth of personality in character, setting as character, Victorian novels, Dostoyevsky, solipsism, synopses, taglines, expectations of the scope of the novel, participation of the writer, intertextuality, the baseball guys and military stories of Frank’s work, “Almost Home,” the next novel in Frank’s series, and Jenny Drama not making it into the next novel.
15:35 Group discussion of the movie “The Fountain,” including not watching the movie with the group, hating the last two movies the group has had to watch, letting the haters hate, the movie taking itself too seriously, plot summary, Rachel Weisz’s face, Hugh Jackman’s attractiveness, Carrie’s coldness, arty acting, pretentiousness, postmodern techniques of the film, excellent cinematography, theme infused throughout the movie, triteness, tree of life vs. tree of knowledge and making a choice between the two, eternal wisdom, Pan’s Labyrinth, fairy tales, intimate moments, Wolverine, buckles and zippers, history defining reality, fake British accents, the father of the land, facades, true natures, eternal love stories, The Matrix, Sideways, merlot, what a film can do with postmodern techniques, Momento, Synochdoche, Frank’s pronunciation etiquette, Schenectady New York, The Fountainhead, Gary Cooper, movie suggestions, and computernerdz.com.
34:10 Group discussion of “Women” by Charles Bukowski, including “Buke” vs. “Buck,” plot review, real life in fiction, Hemingway, Henry Miller, likeability, reality, getting tired of all the throw-up, wine tasting, McDonald’s cups, roman-a-clefs, dictionary reading, sexiness descriptions, diagramming of a woman’s vagina, absurdity of character, dry realism, quality of the techniques used in the novel, vague descriptions, getting away with vague descriptions, Hunter S. Thompson, reflecting of real life in art as a thematic structure, poetry, Bukowski treating women badly in his life and fiction, women running around naked and throwing things, naivete of the narrator about women, undercutting of character, dialecticals, dog poop dropping on characters’ heads, the hero being RIGHT and everyone else being WRONG, Googling information perceiving one’s opinion of the narrative while reading, Bukowski’s self-awareness, ad hominum attacks on Bukowski, autobiography in the narrative and the ability to critique the story knowing it is based on real life, story separate from the author, judging a lover’s poetry, the status figure and the student, Confederacy of Dunces, not knowing the author of a work, underground magazine publishing, people-first language, misandry, being overly autobiographical, the Internet living forever, Mad Max, the aliens, reading online, confirming misandric beliefs,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:36:49326884Saturday Show #70: Mother and I by Dave Eggershttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3265
Sun, 07 Sep 2014 20:05:44 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3265The Austin Writing Workshop is a fiction-writing workshop led by a former literature and philosophy professor. Listen in as the group discusses literary techniques, philosophy, and more on Saturday Show #70. Detailed topics and approximate timestamps are below. 0:00 Excerpt […]The Austin Writing Workshop is a fiction-writing workshop led by a former literature and philosophy professor. Listen in as the group discusses literary techniques, philosophy, and more on Saturday Show #70.
Detailed topics and approximate timestamps are below.
0:00 Excerpt from “Mother and I” by Dave Eggers
1:25 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
2:35 Group analysis of “Mother and I” by Dave Eggers, including the authenticity of authorship, Eggers’s taking of the crown of postmodernism from David Foster Wallace, If I Were in Charge of the World stories, Eggers’s exploits in San Francisco, drinking wine, dogs getting drunk, criticising and using aspects of popular culture in fiction, one-piece swimsuits, older people sharing inappropriate details with younger people, decorative fill-ups, Andy Rooney from 60 Minutes, curing genocide, stealing criticisms, stretching the genre of postmodernism, first-person vs. second-person points of view, seeing theme vs. feeling it and being unable to fully describe it, political commentary, truth of events, concrete action, understanding who the main character actually is, Wallace Shawn, Dennis Kucinich, Richard Ford, Transformers, Peter Joseph (a.k.a. “P.Jo”) and the Zeitgeist objectives, tasting home-made wine during the workshop, I Pencil by Leonard Reed, the ludicrous idea of being able to accomplish all of the objectives mentioned in the story, bringing certain elements into the potential theme, alternate endings to the story, having the surface and philosophy of the story match, llamas, banning or loving billboards, the awfulness of bicycle shots, mixing up the stories, the story lacks depth of knowledge, lobbyists in cages, the tourism of Cleveland and Detroit, LeBron James, Johnny Football Manziel, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Was the story disappointing or satisfying?, multi-linguality of the world, bad Spanish puns, triteness and lack of depth, entertainment value of the story, the lightness of Eggers’s fiction, and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.
28:21 Group analysis of a member’s story, including discussion about what a daguerrotype camera is, comparison to previous stories, using the name “Bertha,” plot review, wine spritzers, “winos,” cleverness of language, word-playing on the title of the book “Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy O’Toole, use of the word of “illegaller,” reading prose as a run-on sentence, reading in different accents, the attractiveness of fame, unmucosey-ness of this writer’s prose, providing synopses with longer submissions, pitching stories, cheating on the writing group, broad discussion about how the workshop should function moving forward, the year of the novel, Kurt Vonnegut, Catcher in the Rye, Madame Bovary by Flaubert, Citizen Kane, Tolstoy, Doestoyevsky, moonshine, Cory’s dating preferences, absurdity of character, tropes in literary fiction, triteness of the narrative, literary environments as sex-fests, writing conferences, Sherlock Holmes, Charles Bukowski, Phillip Roth, Brautigan, and drunken dog kidnapping.
1:07:40 Group analysis of the movie, “Only Lovers Left Alive,” including the fact that the title of the movie may be its best part, a review of published critical reviews of the movie, style over substance, no plot or point of the movie, feeling like being on heroin while watching the movie, quantum entanglement, the question of whether immortality is desireable, Interview with a Vampire by Ann Rice, the director as musician, Guardians of the Galaxy, Lives of the Monster Dogs, male prostitute rings, green coffee beans and self-roasting coffee, Joan Rivers, Robin Williams, John Belushi, Bill Hicks, Bill Maher x 100, George Carlin, the Texas Outlaw Comics, Sam Kinneson, American: The Bill Hicks Story, Jimmy Pineapple,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:34:54326585Saturday Show #69: That Bus is Another World by Stephen Kinghttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3260
Sun, 31 Aug 2014 11:58:22 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3260Can Stephen King write anything well besides horror? What lessons can studying the literary techniques used in King’s story, “That Bus is Another World” yield? The Austin Writing Workshop debates and discusses these issues and more, including analysis of a […]Can Stephen King write anything well besides horror? What lessons can studying the literary techniques used in King’s story, “That Bus is Another World” yield? The Austin Writing Workshop debates and discusses these issues and more,
More detailed information about the podcast is outlined in the approximate timestamps below.
0:00 Excerpt from “That Bus is Another World” by Stephen King
1:22 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
6:05 Group analysis of “That Bus is Another World” by Stephen King, including the story’s publishing history and King stretching out into literary fiction, history of Esquire magazine and its publishing of short stories, naming of real-world details in the story, lack of subtlety, theme vs. message, dialectics in literature, real-world details as a hook for the reader, the story as a moral quandary and the purpose of that attempt, metaphors in the story and the parallels to real-world events, the authenticity (or lack thereof) of the details and the descriptions in the story, British Petroleum advertisements after the Gulf of Mexico oil-spill disaster, moral philosophy and the ought-is fallacy and how that plays out plot-wise, the inability to determine the nature of reality, complicity of everyone in society for using oil and oil-based economic systems, character likeability, contract with the reader in the beginning of the story, real-life anecdotes, trying and succeeding in literature with regard to theme, string theory, Neil deGrasse Tyson, the possibility of humans having 25 senses, the sixth sense and empiricism, Stephen King taking too many risks than necessary for writing a successful story, literary stories by Stephen King, hypergraphia, inventing words, and the 1010 WINS jingle.
32:15 Group analysis of “Fighting Chaos” by Frank Marcopolos, including discussion of chaos theory and the theme of the universe’s chaotic nature, societal structure to fight against chaos, mixing up of characters, pursuit of joy as a social end, effective detail description at the end of the story, enjoyable and clear details of character description, burying the best part of the story at the end, flat spots in the descriptions of places, inconsistency of narrative tone, kissing Frank’s story, romantic elements, bromantic elements, comedic elements, narrative confusion, comparison with the movie “Zeitgeist: The Movie,” inconsistent voice, background on the history of the 2 main characters, the “Ladies Love Frank’s Fiction” fake Internet meme, latent homosexuality, too many similes, having sex in the face of danger, using the word “trite” as an objective criticism when it actually is a subjective opinion, real vs. magic in the storytelling, character differentiation, military vernacular and jargon, likes and dislikes of the setting descriptions, vague writing, haymakers, brevity, visible philosophy in the dialogue, changing it to a frame story, and comparison to “The Hangover.”
1:19:46 Group analysis of the documentary film, “Zeitgeist,” including its tendency to put viewers to sleep, summary of the movie, big social impact of the movie, the solution of socialism as a horrible idea, choices of the people used in the movie to provide information, George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Bill Hicks’s Jesus jokes, the faking of social revolutions as opposed to real historical revolutions, the fundamental ideas of Karl Marx, modernist thinking, the documentary as propaganda, Ayn Rand, child vaccination, Medicare costs, philosophical inconsistencies, human nature, liberty, differentiation from Marx, manipulation of financial markets,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:42:54326086Saturday Show #68: Big Week by Zadie Smithhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3251
Sun, 17 Aug 2014 23:51:13 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3251Fans of Zadie Smith, Dave Eggers, David Foster Wallace, Jennifer Egan, and J.D. Salinger would enjoy this podcast. This podcast is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop held on August 15, 2014. In it, the group explores the […]Fans of Zadie Smith, Dave Eggers, David Foster Wallace, Jennifer Egan, and J.D. Salinger would enjoy this podcast. This podcast is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop held on August 15, 2014. In it, the group explores the […]
For these questions and more, please lay your ears on #68! (Click play on the Flash-required audio player above.)
More details about the topics covered are listed below with approximate timestamps. Enjoy!
0:00 Excerpt from “Big Week” by Zadie Smith
1:39 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
2:41 Group analysis of “Big Week” by Zadie Smith, including comparison to Tao Lin, biography of Zadie Smith, the shady CIA-funded history of The Paris Review magazine, Team Freedom, George Plimpton, Peter Matthiessen, CIA spies, decaff coffee being served to the group, the theme of architecture, plot summary, how neighborhoods shape your destiny and life, reversal of cliches, the main character as a pathetic loose-talker, the failure of institutional structures in society, shifting of perspectives, simply liking the story, writer emphasis, Tom Cruise jumping on a couch and that level of enthusiasm, breaking of group rules regarding reading stories at least twice, caring about story events and characters, the subtlety of Richard Ford and Raymond Carver, “Spring in Fialta” by Vladimir Nabakov as the best story of all time, inability to follow plot, details reflecting on theme, absurdity of character, the absurdity of character behavior, story readability, the problems involved with the author head-hopping so much in 3rd-person narratives, mythological storytelling, comparison to an AWW member’s story, confusing narrative techniques, overdoing thematic elements, socioeconomic focus of the story and the ability of the writer to accurately capture different social classes and neighborhoods (authenticity), difficulty of creating intimacy, comparison to “Where I’m Calling From” by Raymond Carver, parallel between houses falling down and the life of the main character falling down, embellishment of accomplishments, overlooking problems in the beginning of stories, comparison to “For Esme–with Love and Squalor” by J.D. Salinger, buying into a story immediately.
39:50 Group analysis of an AWW member story, including the member’s publishing credentials, comparison to the Zadie Smith story, trying to connect the thematic dots, narrative flow, cleverness of the story, reader subjectivity and how that impacts the reading of the story, astrophysics, star-gazing, 1st person-narrative cheating, emotional and intimate content of the story, lack of action as a narrative technique, “slice of life” stories, simplicity of the narrative style, intense debate over the story’s ending, the dialectic of the story and the lack thereof, theme as mystery, theme transcending technique or trickery, subtlety of theme, “Spring in Fialta,” William Shakespeare, philosophical themes versus didactic themes, references used in lieu of theme, tricks and puzzles, exploring relevant philosophical ideas, Carver and Ford and Ernest Hemingway with regard to dry realism, the function of art, story length, reality of the town of Arco.
1:09:00 Group analysis of the movie “Limitless.”
1:13:47 End of Podcast
***
Read “Big Week” by Zadie Smith in The Paris Review yes1:13:49325187Saturday Show #67: Something by Literary Recluse Thomas Pynchonhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3247
Sat, 09 Aug 2014 20:49:10 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3247A Matter of Emphasis…. The writer of literary fiction chooses which story elements to emphasize in her story very, very deliberately. Do you notice these story elements? Probably not the first time through the story. The first time through, the […]A Matter of Emphasis…. The writer of literary fiction chooses which story elements to emphasize in her story very, very deliberately. Do you notice these story elements? Probably not the first time through the story. The first time through, the […]
The writer of literary fiction chooses which story elements to emphasize in her story very, very deliberately. Do you notice these story elements? Probably not the first time through the story. The first time through, the reading brain is trying to get oriented in the world, get to know its characters, and figure out what’s going on — all the while judging if all of the elements (why am I using “elements” so much?) above are interesting enough to stay engaged with this fictional world. This being the state of things, exactly WHAT should the writer choose to emphasize in her stories to keep the reader engaged and fulfilled–especially upon a second or third reading?
The Austin Writing Workshop discusses all of this and more on Saturday Show Podcast #67.
More elaborate details, including rough timestamps are included below:
0:00 Excerpt from a story by an Austin Writing Workshop member
1:23 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
2:40 Group discussion about a writer’s choice of emphasis, including choice of literary techniques, what the writer was going for, the emphasis of typical literary stories, postmodernism, fantasy and vampires, dialogue, David Mamet, Lars Von Trier films, everyone dying, art for art’s sake.
8:06 Group discussion about an essay/op-ed by Thomas Pynchon (http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/05/18/reviews/pynchon-sloth.html), including thesis, development, flow, resonance, cleverness, purpose of essays vs. stories, Pynchon’s work overall and common elements, muddled theme, The Crying of Lot 49, intense research, the effectiveness of expecting readers to become detectives, neuroticism, an AWW member’s puzzles in stories, Greek Gods, Pynchon’s attempt to show off and its attractiveness or repulsiveness, obscurity of puzzle references, Umberto Ecco, The Name of the Rose, self-referentiality, A&P intertextuality, Pynchon’s references to history and evidence, Pynchonian themes of what it means to be American and American history, missing the point of the essay, literary themes in general, emphasis on humor to the exclusion of other techniques, Pynchon’s reclusivity, The Simpsons, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, the hardships of fame, the asociability of writers, Chuck Palahniuk, J.D. Salinger, and “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.”
25:56 Group discussion about an Austin Writing Workshop member’s story, including the date of the story, first-draft issues, strength of the story, connecting the elements of the story, theme of the fact that love doesn’t work, stand-out lines, resonance with The Crying of Lot 49, rewarding of a second reading of the stories, repetition of symbolic elements, character empathy and how plot reflects on character empathy, emphasis on time symbolism, living in the now vs. fleeing from the now and living in the distractions of modern life, “time” words, elements in stark relief, Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, “Rock Springs,” story details, lack of intimacy with the main character, vulnerability, creating intimacy through plot, showing change in the main character, superficial ways of creating empathy with characters, ability of plot elements to draw the reader in, societal-level meanings of stories, John Steinbeck, Charlotte Perkins-Gilman, subconscious or intuitive writing, discursiveness, mawkishness, the theme of Optimism, Richard Ford-like characters, the opposite of the Tao Lin story, stories becoming something out of the control of the writer and facilitaing multiple interpretations.
53:51 Group discussion about the movie “Melancholia,” including the decadence of the first 15 minutes and the question of whether it is earned or not, cliched art, Marie Antoinette, Kirsten Dunst, cinematography, review of the acting in the film, use of foreshadowing,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:19:37324788Saturday Show #66: Sex After Not Seeing Each Other for a Few Days by Tao Linhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3240
Sat, 02 Aug 2014 21:55:03 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3240Fans of Tao Lin, Dave Eggers, David Foster Wallace, Haruki Murakami, Ayn Rand, Immanuel Kant, and Friedrich Nietzsche would enjoy this podcast. It is a live recording of the meetup of the Austin Writing Workshop held on August 1, 2014 […]Fans of Tao Lin, Dave Eggers, David Foster Wallace, Haruki Murakami, Ayn Rand, Immanuel Kant, and Friedrich Nietzsche would enjoy this podcast. It is a live recording of the meetup of the Austin Writing Workshop held on August 1, 2014 […]
Timestamps for the podcast, with details about the far-ranging discussion:
0:00 Excerpt from “Sex After Not Seeing Each Other for a Few Days” by Tao Lin
0:53 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
3:26 Austin Writing Workshop general discussion of literary techniques, including character empathy and/or sympathy, junk writing, character morals, voice, liking characters, clinical definitions of empathy and sympathy, vicarious experiences, porn, Anais Nin as a cross-over, Tao Lin, the subjective interpretation of literary techniques, Tao Lin’s literary success, the momentum of success, judgment of art including inertia and authority (“Ways (Methods) of Knowing” by C.S. Peirce, a.k.a. “The Fixation of Belief”), rational inquiry, Ayn Rand and objective principles, Jenny McCarthy and the vaccination debate in American society, philosophy and literature, Milan Kundera, Immanuel Kant, Freidrich Nietzsche, master and slave mentality as outlined by Nietzsche, subjectivism as a school defined by Kant, science feeding into philosophy, Newtonian physics and modernism, writing by objective rules as opposed to subjective opinions, a priori rules, Ayn Rand’s categorization of types of people and how they function, Frank’s presence at the meeting with 4 women as the uber-mensch [comedic], absurd characters and their storytelling purpose, the core (through-line coherency) of a story and its relation to theme, Story Bibles, hierarchical levels of thematic storytelling, plotless stories as a part of postmodernism, the movies “Inception” and “The Matrix” and how they use postmodern storytelling techniques, Jose Saramaggio, Dean Koontz, James Patterson.
37:18 AWW group analysis of “Sex After Not Seeing Each Other for a Few Days” by Tao Lin, including migraines caused by literature, pointless porn, symbolism, the absence of traditional romantic language in the story, unique descriptions, story likeability, the profane and the divine, lack of personal connection between two remote people, comparison to abstract art, non-sexiness of a sex story (as opposed to the colorful style of Henry Miller), Erica Jong, The Guardian’s description of the duality of Tao Lin as a literary artist, upside-down lawnmowers with poop coming out of them, lack of literary technique, erotica, porn without the porn, Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” the impotence of trying to deconstruct this story, Jacques Derrida, the story being a passionate argument against metaphysics, the story as an argument for the power of the present moment, solipsism, bare-bones descriptions as a technique, draining the color out of life, the movie “Side Effects,” Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, the absence of the soul, the societal meaning of the story, the descriptive sentences as a contrast to the otherwise plain language, Paul Auster, the marketing of Tao Lin, Tao Lin as the Andy Kaufman of the literary world, Milos Foreman and “The Man On The Moon,” Larry Flynt and free speech, Bob Dylan as a fake protestor, Rimbaud, and Balzac.
1:07:10 AWW group analysis of “Plea Deal” by Frank Marcopolos, including investment in the story and empathy for the main character, epistemological themes of knowing who we are with regard to epigen...]]>Frank Marcopolosyes2:00:45324089Saturday Show #65: The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck and Manhattan by Woody Allenhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3237
Sun, 27 Jul 2014 13:21:22 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3237Fans of John Steinbeck, Woody Allen, David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Franzen, J.D. Salinger, and Ayn Rand would enjoy this podcast. It is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop held on June 25, 2014 in balmy Austin, […]Fans of John Steinbeck, Woody Allen, David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Franzen, J.D. Salinger, and Ayn Rand would enjoy this podcast. It is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop held on June 25, 2014 in balmy Austin, […]
0:00 Excerpt from “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck
1:10 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
2:05 Group analysis of an Austin Writing Workshop member’s story, including copyright infringement issues, Randall Jarrell, mixing genres, author goals, fiction versus non-fiction, David Foster Wallace, “The Greatest Generation,” length of details, the firebombing of Dresden in World War II, author generosity, poetry, smoking to avoid the draft, bringing the funny, copper shot jiggers, hiding the most important details of a story, the lasting effects of war, didactic storytelling tactics, explanation of technical details, reader orientation (grounding), achieving goals, Tim O’Brien, Texas State University, beating a dead horse academically, meta-fiction vs. anti-fiction, lack of literary technique, Raymond Carver, tricking soldiers with psychological manipulation, molding (editing), Ernest Hemingway, disappearing narrators, F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby,” Nick Carraway, literary reportage, lack of intimacy, and clarity of narrative details.
36:33 Group analysis of “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, including old-school realism, imagistic and symbolic details, aesthetics, Vladimir Nabokov, modernism and realism, experimentation, James Joyce, message vs. theme, feminism as a theme/message, oppression of women (patriarchy), novels as a graduate dissertation, bucolic characters and setting, start of the postmodern era, stories as a vehicle for social change, Charlotte Perkins-Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” subtlety and the fine line between revealing as much as you need without being heavy handed, symbolic intent, capturing a setting properly and authentically, exchanging of value, Deus ex Machina, postmodernism, Christianity, Ayn Rand, lipstick or stiletto feminism, Raymond Carver’s “I Could See the Smallest Things,” visceral reactions, masculinity, Henry David Thoreau, Jacques Derrida, the child-like quality of the story, hookers, dialectics, “American Beauty,” themes of discontent and darkness, lost hope stories, garotting of dogs, subtlety of details, subconscious writing, terrier fingers, impotence, predictable endings, finding ways of surprising people in modern times when it’s almost impossible to surprise readers, Weird Al Yankovitz, Franz Kafka, and parallels in the story to Steinbeck’s writing career.
1:10:19 Group analysis of “Manhattan” by Woody Allen (starring Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Murphy, and Meryl Streep), including stunning visuals, God complexes, message vs. theme, wide-angle shots, New York City architecture, not interacting with any of the people in Manhattan or New York, neuroticism, lack of cell phones, answering services, statutory rape, state laws about age of consent, New Yorkers living on top of one another, Gershwin, love stories on several levels, plot summary, separation of Woody Allen’s real life antics from the plot of the movie, character likeability, “Annie Hall,” “The Matrix,” “Sideways,” amorality, Donald Sterling and the Los Angeles Clippers/racism, Soon Yi Previn, Mia Farrow, reading critiques off the Internet during the meeting, cue cards, TelePrompTers, failing as a stage actor, despicable artists,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:35:01323790Saturday Show #64: All That by David Foster Wallace and Annie Hall by Woody Allenhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3234
Sun, 20 Jul 2014 19:45:16 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3234Fans of David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Franzen, Kingsley Amis, Haruki Murakami, Alice Munro, Woody Allen, and J.D. Salinger would enjoy this podcast. It is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, held in North Austin on Friday, […]Fans of David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Franzen, Kingsley Amis, Haruki Murakami, Alice Munro, Woody Allen, and J.D. Salinger would enjoy this podcast. It is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, held in North Austin on Friday, […]
0:00 Excerpt from “All That” by self-proclaimed “library weenie” David Foster Wallace
1:13 Frank’s introduction to the podcast
2:05 Group analysis of “All That” by David Foster Wallace, including postmodern themes of reality vs. unreality, the use of symbolic detail, parenthetical asides, the imperfection of language, Lacan, Plato, breaking the fourth wall, likeability of narrator voice, Matthew 4:7, capturing the essence of childhood, stealing from J.D. Salinger’s “Seymour: An Introduction,” happiness conspiracies, intertextuality, unfinished endings, the contract with the reader (first paragraphs), triteness in a story, David Foster Wallace’s famousness as it relates to his ability to publish, The New Yorker magazine, writers as characters in a story as a postmodern technique, the beauty of simple sentences, Vladimir Nabokov’s style, Nelson Mandela, writing as a form of jazz (improvizational), The Fault in Our Stars, and the decadence of postmodernism.
38:50 Group analysis of an AWW group member’s story, including parallels to David Foster Wallace’s story (above), the theme of cascading love, developing symbols that represent theme, starting in the “right” place, the movie “Pinky,” ecstasy, transitions, Johnny Carson, and sentence dramatization.
54:12 Group analysis of “Annie Hall” by Woody Allen, including Coney Island icons, the possibility of the movie being one of the best romantic comedies of all time, comparison to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” the excellent performance of Diane Keaton, postmodern techniques in the movie, breaking the fourth wall, Diane Keaton’s wardrobe, art imitating life and life imitating art, time capsules, Ronald Reagan, effect the movie had on women’s fashion, Marshall McLuhan, The Denial of Death, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, the alternate self or dopelganger, L.A. vs. N.Y., conspiracies, subtitled thoughts, talking straight to camera, heroine and methadone, public school teachers, the teamsters, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, New York as a character, and the final scene of the film.
1:14:08 End of Podcast]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:14:09323491Saturday Show #63: Happy Endings by Margaret Atwood and Opposite Days by Frank Marcopoloshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3221
Fri, 11 Jul 2014 22:39:27 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3221Fans of Kingsley Amis, Dave Eggers, Margaret Atwood, and Haruki Murakami will enjoy this podcast. It is a live recording of a meeting of the Austin Writing Workshop held on July 9, 2014. Excerpts from “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood […]Fans of Kingsley Amis, Dave Eggers, Margaret Atwood, and Haruki Murakami will enjoy this podcast. It is a live recording of a meeting of the Austin Writing Workshop held on July 9, 2014. Excerpts from “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood […]
Timestamps with more precise topics of conversation are provided below:
0:00 Excerpt from “Opposite Days” by Frank Marcopolos
1:38 Frank’s Introduction to the Podcast
2:16 Excerpt from “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood
3:16 Group analysis of “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood, including understanding theme, essay versus short story as a way to transmit a message, the Socratic method of determining truth, Atwood’s target market for the story, Atwood’s intended message, “Hair Jewelry,” flat and dull characters, genre writing, the market of genre writing versus literary fiction, the syllabus for classes taught by David Foster Wallace, Stephen King’s new story in “Esquire Magazine,” comparison to “The Babysitter” by Robert Coover, disjointed narrative styles, and making the reader work hard to understand what is happening in a story.
28:35 Group analysis of “Opposite Days” by Frank Marcopolos, including authenticity of the female voice in the story, minimalism, maximalism (and the contrast of both and the effect of such contrast), philtrums(!!!), the theme of mating rituals (and societal norms) and the consequences of reversing them, comedy in the story, abruptness of the ending and its effect, leaving a story open for discussion, #FAIL, sports celebrities, power struggles among men and women, “Franny and Zooey” by J.D. Salinger, testing of potential mates, reusing the same characters from previous stories (intertextuality), character construction and continuity with dialogue and narration, chiarroscurro, postmodern allowances in storytelling, clarity of setting, “LeBronning” as a joke in a story and the ability of the reader to follow such a specific detail, the “Walmart for your literary needs,” William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County stories, character motivations, and different levels of successful themes.
1:08:03 Group analysis of the movie “Intersection,” starring Richard Gere, Lolita Davidovich, and Sharon Stone, written by David Rayfiel and Marshall Brickman, and directed by Mark Rydell. Discussion includes building characters, casting, formulaic plot, evolution over time of a writer’s ability to construct successful elements of plot and other characteristics, character sympathy, and developing a question rather than an answer. ]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:28:57322192Saturday Show #62: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson and Ceil by Harold Brodkey (Are Discussed)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3209
Sun, 29 Jun 2014 14:06:51 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3209This is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, recorded on June 27, 2014 in North Austin, Texas. The AWW is a fiction-writing workshop focusing primarily on postmodern literary fiction and philosophy. Podcast Timestamps: 0:00 Excerpt from “Fear and […]This is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, recorded on June 27, 2014 in North Austin, Texas. The AWW is a fiction-writing workshop focusing primarily on postmodern literary fiction and philosophy.
This is a live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop, recorded on June 27, 2014 in North Austin, Texas. The AWW is a fiction-writing workshop focusing primarily on postmodern literary fiction and philosophy.
Podcast Timestamps:
0:00 Excerpt from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson

2:51 Frank’s introduction to the podcast

3:31 Excerpt from “Ceil” by Harold Brodkey

4:57 Analysis of “Ceil” by Harold Brodkey begins

5:10 Frank’s Analysis of “Ceil,” including discussion of postmodern literary techniques and purpose, and Brodkey’s history/legacy

32:30 Frank’s analysis of Cory’s story, including a comparison to “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson, characters with small penises, thoughts on literary memoirs, use of obstacles as a narrative technique, and proportion and balance in the narrative

37:52 Kevin’s analysis of Cory’s story, including the importance of setting, the use of obstacles as a narrative technique, use of character goals, and naming the narrator

43:53 Theresa’s analysis of Cory’s story, including the appreciation of the style of the piece, vivid details, and the “oral” technique

56:36 Strongest Parts of “Storytime,” Its Potential, and the Challenges of How to

Make it Better

57:38 Discussion About BBC’s “Sherlock” & Why It Was Picked for Discussion

1:00:16 Detail of Writing 9 Episodes – Linear Design

1:01:24 Blogs & Websites

1:01:44 Origination Of Stories

1:03:00 Casting

1:04:41 Ending of Episode Six and the Worldwide Hysteria it Caused

1:06:45 Believable Explanation In Seven, Eight, & Nine]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:14:42319394Saturday Show #60: Little Birds by Anais Nin (Is Discussed)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3168
Sun, 01 Jun 2014 03:07:03 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3168Live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop on May 30, 2014. Topics: the erotica-ish short story “Little Birds” by Anais Nin, the movie, “The Name of the Rose” starring Sean Connery and Christian Slater, and, as always, postmodern literary fiction […]Live recording of the Austin Writing Workshop on May 30, 2014. Topics: the erotica-ish short story “Little Birds” by Anais Nin, the movie, “The Name of the Rose” starring Sean Connery and Christian Slater, and, as always, postmodern literary fiction […]]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:24:36316895Saturday Show #58: So Much Water So Close to Home by Raymond Carver (Is Discussed)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3161
Sun, 18 May 2014 14:39:49 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3161Live recording of The Austin Writing Workshop at “The Compound” in Austin, Texas on May 16, 2014. Topics discussed include: Raymond Carver’s “So Much Water So Close to Home,” the Jodie Foster/Matthew McConaughey movie “Contact,” a member-submitted story, and postmodern […]Live recording of The Austin Writing Workshop at “The Compound” in Austin, Texas on May 16, 2014. Topics discussed include: Raymond Carver’s “So Much Water So Close to Home,” the Jodie Foster/Matthew McConaughey movie “Contact,Buy the Collected Short Stories of Raymond Carver here

Buy The Dawn of the Day by Friedrich Nietzsche here]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:59:35316196Saturday Show #57: The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant (Is Discussed)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3158
Sun, 11 May 2014 00:26:24 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3158Buy “The Necklace” and other short stories by Guy de Maupassant HERE.Buy “The Necklace” and other short stories by Guy de Maupassant HERE.HERE.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:57:36315897Saturday Show #56: The Use of Force by William Carlos Williamshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3154
Sun, 27 Apr 2014 21:24:19 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3154A performance of the short story, “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams.A performance of the short story, “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes9:50315498Saturday Show #55: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilmanhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3151
Sat, 19 Apr 2014 11:30:38 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3151A performance of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The Yellow WallpaperA performance of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The Yellow WallpaperThe Yellow Wallpaper]]>Frank Marcopolosyes46:58315199Saturday Show #54: Seize the Day by Saul Bellow (Or, Holden Caulfield Ages)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3145
Sat, 05 Apr 2014 22:36:32 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3145Analyzing the novella “Seize the Day” by Saul Bellow and the philosophical nature of post-modern literary fiction. Seize the Day by Saul Bellow Almost Home by Frank Marcopolos Real Writers’ Workshop Meetup On the Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich NietzscheAnalyzing the novella “Seize the Day” by Saul Bellow and the philosophical nature of post-modern literary fiction. Seize the Day by Saul Bellow Almost Home by Frank Marcopolos Real Writers’ Workshop Meetup On the Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich NietzscheSeize the Day by Saul Bellow

On the Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Nietzsche]]>Frank Marcopolosyes28:443145100Saturday Show #53: The Country Husband by John Cheever (Or, The Universe Doesn’t Care About Your Nonsense)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3133
Sat, 22 Mar 2014 23:13:16 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3133Analyzing “The Country Husband” by John Cheever and the documentary “Searching for Sugar Man.” Show Notes: John Cheever Searching for Sugar Man Almost HomeAnalyzing “The Country Husband” by John Cheever and the documentary “Searching for Sugar Man.” Show Notes: John Cheever Searching for Sugar Man Almost Home
Show Notes:John Cheever

Almost Home]]>Frank Marcopolosyes27:053133101Saturday Show #52: The Cloak by Isak Dinesen (Secretly Known as Karen Blixen) + A Secret History of the American Crash by Gonzalo Lirahttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3129
Sun, 09 Mar 2014 14:28:24 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3129What is the purpose of a postmodern literary story? How is it different from storytelling styles of the past? And why should you care? Plus, Frank reads an excerpt from “The Cloak” by Isak Dinesen (pen name of Danish author […]What is the purpose of a postmodern literary story? How is it different from storytelling styles of the past? And why should you care? Plus, Frank reads an excerpt from “The Cloak” by Isak Dinesen (pen name of Danish author […]
Show notes:Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen)

Real Writers Fiction-Writing Workshop Meetup in Austin, TX
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Music provided by radiotimes, admiralbob77, and lazztunes_07 of ccMixter.org. Outtro courtesy of melodysheep on YouTube. Intro voicework by BelindaJoh.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes28:573129102Saturday Show #51: A Very Short Story by Ernest Hemingwayhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3122
Sat, 01 Mar 2014 10:00:19 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3122A podcast with Papa. And other thoughts, theories, things. Show notes/relevant links: In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway Hardcore History – Must-Listen Podcasting The Lost Generation Geniuses Together: American Writers in Paris Teddy Roosevelt – Rough Riders Sexual Sickness Psychology […]A podcast with Papa. And other thoughts, theories, things. Show notes/relevant links: In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway Hardcore History – Must-Listen Podcasting The Lost Generation Geniuses Together: American Writers in Paris Teddy Roosevelt – Rough Rid...
Show notes/relevant links:In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway

American Psycho]]>Frank Marcopolosyes20:493122103Saturday Show #50: I Could See the Smallest Things by Raymond Carver (Or, The Wed Night Slaughter)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3115
Sat, 08 Feb 2014 12:30:42 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3115We worship at the altar of the slaughter. We bow down and make sacrifice to its Holy Being. We grace ourselves in its glow. Because in the cathedrals of literature, no other Deity can bestow upon you such Grace. * […]We worship at the altar of the slaughter. We bow down and make sacrifice to its Holy Being. We grace ourselves in its glow. Because in the cathedrals of literature, no other Deity can bestow upon you such Grace. * […]
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Raymond Clevie Carver, Jr. (May 25, 1938 – August 2, 1988) was an American short story writer and poet. Carver was a major writer of the late 20th century and a major force in the revitalization of the American short story in literature in the 1980s.Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon, a mill town on the Columbia River, and grew up in Yakima, Washington. His father, a skilled sawmill worker from Arkansas, was a fisherman and a heavy drinker. Carver’s mother worked on and off as a waitress and a retail clerk. His one brother, James Franklin Carver, was born in 1943.
Carver was educated at local schools in Yakima, Washington. In his spare time he read mostly novels by Mickey Spillane or publications such as Sports Afield and Outdoor Life and hunted and fished with friends and family. After graduating from Yakima High School in 1956, Carver worked with his father at a sawmill in California. In June 1957, aged 19, he married 16-year-old Maryann Burk, who had just graduated from a private Episcopal school for girls. Their daughter, Christine La Rae, was born in December 1957. When their second child, a boy named Vance Lindsay, was born the next year, Carver was 20. Carver supported his family by working as a janitor, sawmill laborer, delivery man, and library assistant. During their marriage, Maryann worked as a waitress, salesperson, administrative assistant, and high school English teacher.
Carver became interested in writing in California, where he had moved with his family because his mother-in-law had a home in Paradise. Carver attended a creative writing course taught by the novelist John Gardner, who became a mentor and had a major influence on Carver’s life and career. His first published story, “The Furious Seasons”, appeared in 1961. More florid than his later work, the story strongly bore the influence of William Faulkner. “Furious Seasons” was later used as a title for a collection of stories published by Capra Press, and can now be found in the recent collections, No Heroics, Please and Call If You Need Me.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes29:093115104Saturday Show #49: Talpa by Juan Rulfohttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3111
Sat, 01 Feb 2014 15:00:44 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3111From WikiPedia: “Juan Rulfo (16 May 1917 – 7 January 1986) was a Mexican writer, screenwriter and photographer. One of Latin America’s most esteemed authors, Rulfo’s reputation rests on two slim books, the novel Pedro Páramo (1955), and El Llano […]From WikiPedia: “Juan Rulfo (16 May 1917 – 7 January 1986) was a Mexican writer, screenwriter and photographer. One of Latin America’s most esteemed authors, Rulfo’s reputation rests on two slim books, the novel Pedro Páramo (1955), and El Llano […]
Buy Pedro Paramo here

Buy El Llano en llamas here]]>Frank Marcopolosyes15:273111105Saturday Show #47: Nirvana by Adam Johnson (Plus, A-Roid Bounced!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3090
Sun, 12 Jan 2014 01:06:58 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3090A-Rod found guilty! 162-game suspension! An entire career built on ‘roidy fraud! And Frank discusses how this illuminates some of the deepest philosophical concepts of our time. (No, it isn’t a stretch.) Also discussed are “Nirvana” by Pulitzer Prize winner […]A-Rod found guilty! 162-game suspension! An entire career built on ‘roidy fraud! And Frank discusses how this illuminates some of the deepest philosophical concepts of our time. (No, it isn’t a stretch.) Also discussed are “Nirvana” by Pulitzer Prize w...
Relevant links and show notes:A-Fraud ‘Roids His Way to Biggest Suspension Ever

Paradise Lost Documentaries
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Music provided by radiotimes, admiralbob77, and lazztunes_07 of ccMixter.org. Outtro courtesy of melodysheep on YouTube. ]]>Frank Marcopolosyes52:193083107Saturday Show #45: The Advantages of the Well-Read Gentlemanhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3066
Sat, 14 Dec 2013 23:38:21 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3066@InverseDelirium Thanks, Geoffrey! — Frank Marcopolos (@FrankMarcopolos) December 24, 2013 @FrankMarcopolos LOVE the quote:“It’s not the same. You can’t just tell someone what the meaning of a great book is.Doesn’t work like that.” — Cicily Janus (@jazzwriterchick) December 20, 2013 […]@InverseDelirium Thanks, Geoffrey! — Frank Marcopolos (@FrankMarcopolos) December 24, 2013 @FrankMarcopolos LOVE the quote:“It’s not the same. You can’t just tell someone what the meaning of a great book is.Doesn’t work like that.@InverseDelirium Thanks, Geoffrey!
— Frank Marcopolos (@FrankMarcopolos) December 24, 2013

@FrankMarcopolos LOVE the quote:“It’s not the same. You can’t just tell someone what the meaning of a great book is.Doesn’t work like that.”
— Cicily Janus (@jazzwriterchick) December 20, 2013

We—my mom, brother, sister, and I—were enjoying a rare family meal at China New Star Restaurant on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. I was trying to explain to them what was so great about Paolo Coehlo’s international bestselling novel, THE ALCHEMIST, which I’d recently read. As I was going through a litany of praises, my sister, the devoted New Kids on the Block fan, sighed as only little sisters can sigh, and said, “If it has this great message about life and stuff, why not just tell us what it is?”
After expressing the exasperation of a big brother exhausted from 30+ years of being exasperated with his younger siblings, I said, “It’s not the same. You can’t just tell someone what the meaning of a great book is. Doesn’t work like that.”
“Why not?” my sister said.
“Because, that’s why,” I said, big-bro brilliant.
The embarrassing fact is, I didn’t know why on that day. But my little sister’s line of questioning stuck with me. As I started thinking more and more about my little sister’s question, I started thinking about the role of fiction in our society, and how it seems that there’s a perception “out there” that fiction is for entertainment purposes only—that it’s not useful for helping us solve the many problems we face.
And that is DEAD WRONG.
Robert Bly says:
“The knowledge of how to build a nest in a bare tree, how to fly to the wintering place, how to perform the mating dance—all of this information is stored in the reservoirs of the bird’s instinctual brain. But human beings, sensing how much flexibility they might need in meeting new situations, decided to store this sort of knowledge outside the instinctual system; they stored it in stories. Stories, then—fairy stories, legends, myths, hearth stories—amount to a reservoir where we keep new ways of responding that we can adopt when the conventional and current ways wear out.”
Once it became clear that great fiction could have a distinctly useful purpose, I sought to find out what some of those purposes could be…
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Show notes and links:The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho

Paradise Lost – The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
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Music provided by radiotimes, admiralbob77, and lazztunes_07 of ccMixter.org. Outtro courtesy of melodysheep on yes47:143066108Saturday Show #44: The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls by J.D. Salingerhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3060
Sat, 07 Dec 2013 22:01:05 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3060In this episode of the show, Frank discusses the enigmatic nature of the J.D. Salinger estate. The estate has been silent since the death of the famous author in 2010, even as documentaries come out about him, and some of […]In this episode of the show, Frank discusses the enigmatic nature of the J.D. Salinger estate. The estate has been silent since the death of the famous author in 2010, even as documentaries come out about him, and some of […]
The audio player above uses Flash. if that don’t suit ya too good, you can click over to iTunes.com, or use Stitcher.
Relevant links and show notes:J.D. Salinger – Nine Stories

The Whirligig
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Music provided by radiotimes, admiralbob77, and lazztunes_07 of ccMixter.org. Outtro courtesy of melodysheep on YouTube. Liner provided by the lovely and talented Lady Anarchy, Ms. Amanda Billyrock. Intro voicework by BelindaJoh.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes44:243060109Saturday Show #42: F*!$ the Authors Guildhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3014
Sat, 16 Nov 2013 16:31:07 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3014“Wait. You’re doing WHAT?” she said. “I’m writing a fairy tale… of OUR relationship,” I said. She said… Plus, news about the latest lawsuit filed by Big Publishing Luddites, the Authors Guild, this time against Google Books, and the launch […]“Wait. You’re doing WHAT?” she said. “I’m writing a fairy tale… of OUR relationship,” I said. She said… Plus, news about the latest lawsuit filed by Big Publishing Luddites, the Authors Guild, this time against Google Books, and the launch […]
Plus, news about the latest lawsuit filed by Big Publishing Luddites, the Authors Guild, this time against Google Books, and the launch of the super-awesome Tim Ferriss Book Club! It’s a laughfest, a crybonanza, and chock full (as always) of literary fiction techniques and philosophy gleaned from the meetup.com-organized “Real Writers Critique Group” in sunny Austin, Texas. (New members always welcome — if you can handle honest criticism!)
Listen to the show on iTunes.com. There’s also a Stitcher player on the top sidebar widget on this page.
Relevant show notes and linkages: The Authors Guild

Confessions of a Dangerous MindWeb Design, Ebook Covers, and MORE: Dandy Lion Studio – Affordable prices, incredible quality, and responsive customer service
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Music provided by radiotimes, admiralbob77, and lazztunes_07 of ccMixter.org. Outtro courtesy of melodysheep on YouTube. Liner provided by the lovely and talented Lady Anarchy, Ms. Amanda Billrock. Intro voicework by BelindaJoh.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes42:333014110Saturday Show #41: C.I.A. Weaponization of Culturehttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/3001
Sat, 02 Nov 2013 21:43:45 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=3001In this exciting episode, Frank discusses the revelations that the C.I.A. has been in control of American “culture” since the beginning. This includes the funding of The Paris Review and other literary magazines, as well as the global promotion of […]In this exciting episode, Frank discusses the revelations that the C.I.A. has been in control of American “culture” since the beginning. This includes the funding of The Paris Review and other literary magazines, as well as the global promotion of […]
The audio player above uses Flash. You can also listen to Saturday Show via iTunes by banging this link.
Show notes and/or relevant links:Listen to Saturday Show on Stitcher – Radio On Demand]]>Frank Marcopolosyes44:513001111Saturday Show #40: Men’s Fiction, featuring Tony Cliftonhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2991
Sat, 26 Oct 2013 14:46:11 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2991Tony Clifton drops in and out of this podcast, while Frank discusses the vital importance of men reading. 85% of men in prison grew up without a dad. Men who read become leaders and maintain a cohesive family unit, statistically […]Tony Clifton drops in and out of this podcast, while Frank discusses the vital importance of men reading. 85% of men in prison grew up without a dad. Men who read become leaders and maintain a cohesive family unit, statistically […]
Tony Clifton has nothing to do with men reading. That’s just for fun.
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Show Notes:Tony Clifton

]]>Frank Marcopolosyes34:032991112Saturday Show #39: No Caffeinehttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2987
Sat, 12 Oct 2013 21:16:26 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2987Frank does the unthinkable for this podcast. He goes for 7 days without any caffeine, and then not only functions, not only attends his normal writing group, but he somehow manages to also speak coherently into the recorder in order […]Frank does the unthinkable for this podcast. He goes for 7 days without any caffeine, and then not only functions, not only attends his normal writing group, but he somehow manages to also speak coherently into the recorder in order […]Frank does the unthinkable for this podcast. He goes for 7 days without any caffeine, and then not only functions, not only attends his normal writing group, but he somehow manages to also speak coherently into the recorder in order to bring you this podcast. He should be lauded, he should be commended, he should be regarded as a hero. Or something.
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Relevant links and show notes:Caffeine Cessation

Blade Runner
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Music provided by radiotimes and admiralbob77 of ccMixter.org. Liner provided by the amazing Lady Anarchy, Ms. Amanda Billyrock.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes31:262987113Saturday Show #38: Austin City Limitshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2979
Sat, 05 Oct 2013 13:29:18 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2979In episode 38 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank whimsically muses about ACLs and ACL, the people painting the parking spaces all around him, Austin traffic, and literary fiction techniques galore! The literary fiction discussion includes information on awkward word usage, […]In episode 38 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank whimsically muses about ACLs and ACL, the people painting the parking spaces all around him, Austin traffic, and literary fiction techniques galore! The literary fiction discussion includes information on a...
Saturday Show Podcast is the only podcast that comes at you from inside a vehicle, namely, the jet black jet stream Jetta.
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From Wikipedia:
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH, (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world. Greene was noted for his ability to combine serious literary acclaim with widespread popularity.
Although Greene objected strongly to being described as a Roman Catholic novelist rather than as a novelist who happened to be Catholic, Catholic religious themes are at the root of much of his writing, especially the four major Catholic novels: Brighton Rock, The Power and the Glory, The Heart of the Matter, and The End of the Affair. Several works such as The Confidential Agent, The Third Man, The Quiet American, Our Man in Havana, and The Human Factor also show an avid interest in the workings of international politics and espionage.
Greene suffered from bipolar disorder, which had a profound effect on his writing and personal life. In a letter to his wife Vivien, he told her that he had “a character profoundly antagonistic to ordinary domestic life”, and that “unfortunately, the disease is also one’s material”. William Golding described Greene as “the ultimate chronicler of twentieth-century man’s consciousness and anxiety.” Greene never received the Nobel Prize in Literature, though he finished runner-up to Ivo Andrić in 1961.
Show notes and relevant linkages:ACL

Independent Media]]>Frank Marcopolosyes30:262979114Saturday Show #37: Did J.D. Salinger Practice Black Magic? – Reviewing Salinger, Part 3http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2955
Sat, 21 Sep 2013 23:29:13 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2955“Do you want me to try to get Buddy on the phone for you tonight?” [Zooey] asked. “I think you should talk to SOMEbody–I’M no damn good for this.” He waited, looking at her steadily. “Franny. What about it?” Franny’s […]“Do you want me to try to get Buddy on the phone for you tonight?” [Zooey] asked. “I think you should talk to SOMEbody–I’M no damn good for this.” He waited, looking at her steadily. “Franny. What about it?” Franny’s […]“Do you want me to try to get Buddy on the phone for you tonight?” [Zooey] asked. “I think you should talk to SOMEbody–I’M no damn good for this.” He waited, looking at her steadily. “Franny. What about it?”
Franny’s head was bowed. She appeared to be searching for flea’s in Bloomberg’s coat, her fingers very busy indeed turning back tufts of fur. She was in fact crying now, but in a very local sort of way, as it were; there were tears but no sounds. Zooey watched her for a full minute or so, then said, not precisely kindly, but without importuning, “Franny. What about it? Shall I try to get Buddy on the phone?”
She shook her head, without raising it. She went on searching for fleas. Then, after an interval, she did reply to Zooey’s question, but not very audibly.
“What?” Zooey asked.
Franny repeated her statement. “I want to talk to Seymour,” she said.
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*Relevant links and show notes:
“Salinger” is a new documentary about the life and writing of reclusive American author J.D. Salinger. “Salinger” features interviews with 150 subjects including Salinger’s friends and colleagues who have never spoken on the record before as well as film footage, photographs and other material that has never been seen. Additionally, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, John Cusack, Danny DeVito, John Guare, Martin Sheen, David Milch, Robert Towne, Tom Wolfe, E.L. Doctorow, Gore Vidal and Pulitzer Prize winners A. Scott Berg and Elizabeth Frank talk about Salinger’s influence on their lives, their work and the broader culture. The film is the first work to get beyond the Catcher in the Rye author’s meticulously built up wall: his childhood, painstaking work methods, marriages, private world, and the secrets he left behind after his death in 2010.
For more than fifty years, the ever elusive author of The Catcher in the Rye has been the subject of a relentless stream of newspaper and magazine articles as well as several biographies. Yet all of these attempts have been hampered by a fundamental lack of access and by the persistent recycling of inaccurate information. Salinger remains, astonishingly, an enigma. The complex and contradictory human being behind the myth has never been revealed.Salinger (Book) by David Shields and Shane Salerno

The Whirligig Literary Magazine]]>Frank Marcopolosyes30:322955115Saturday Show #36: Reviewing Salinger – Part 2http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2898
Sat, 14 Sep 2013 21:58:10 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2898In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses the timely demise of “Burn Notice,” the joys of a gluten-free beer called “Bard’s Beer,” the new biography of J.D. Salinger entitled “Salinger” by David Shields and Shane Salerno, the origins […]In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses the timely demise of “Burn Notice,” the joys of a gluten-free beer called “Bard’s Beer,” the new biography of J.D. Salinger entitled “Salinger” by David Shields and Shane Salerno, the origins […]
The audio player above uses Flash. This is the link to Saturday Show Podcast on iTunes.com.Show notes and relevant links:Burn Notice

The Whirligig on Amazon.com
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Music provided by radiotimes and lazztunes07 via ccmixter.org. “Fear or Love?” provided by melodysheep via YouTube. Liners provided by two lovely and talented ladies: Ms. Amanda Billyrock and Ms. Melissa Craig.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes50:482898116Saturday Show #35: Reviewing Salinger – Part 1http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2877
Sat, 07 Sep 2013 22:50:35 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2877In episode 35 of Saturday Show, Frank discusses the new biography entitled “SALINGER”, written by David Shields and Shane Salerno, plus: literary fiction techniques galore, Oona O’Neill, World War II, D-Day, Hurtgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulge, Nazi concentration […]In episode 35 of Saturday Show, Frank discusses the new biography entitled “SALINGER”, written by David Shields and Shane Salerno, plus: literary fiction techniques galore, Oona O’Neill, World War II, D-Day, Hurtgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulge,
The audio player above uses Flash. Here is the link to the show on iTunes.com
Show notes and relevant links:SALINGER by David Shields and Shane Salerno

Ernest Hemingway]]>Frank Marcopolosyes45:392877117Saturday Show #34: J.D. Salinger to Publish 5 New Books!http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2781
Sat, 31 Aug 2013 23:54:43 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2781In episode 34 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses El Jefe Obama’s decision not to bomb the hell out of Syria (yet), several different charities to support if you’re concerned about humanitarian aid, the HOT news about J.D. Salinger’s plan […]In episode 34 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses El Jefe Obama’s decision not to bomb the hell out of Syria (yet), several different charities to support if you’re concerned about humanitarian aid, the HOT news about J.D. Salinger’s plan […]
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Show notes and other links of note from this episode:Mark Twain on the Spanish-American War

Dandy Lion Studio – Awesome Web Design
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Music provided by lazztunes07 and radiotimes of ccMixter.org. End music provided by melodysheep and the prophets Bill Hicks and George Carlin. Liners provided by award-winning erotica author Melissa Craig and anarchist writer and video blogger Amanda Billyrock.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:02:192781118Saturday Show #33: Kindle Worldshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2699
Sat, 24 Aug 2013 19:36:06 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2699In episode 33 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses Kindle Worlds. Is it the latest in silliness or a major event in the world of publishing? Kindle Worlds is a publication submission platform from Amazon.com where you choose a licensed […]In episode 33 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses Kindle Worlds. Is it the latest in silliness or a major event in the world of publishing? Kindle Worlds is a publication submission platform from Amazon.com where you choose a licensed […]In episode 33 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses Kindle Worlds. Is it the latest in silliness or a major event in the world of publishing? Kindle Worlds is a publication submission platform from Amazon.com where you choose a licensed World, read the Content Guidelines for that World, write your story, upload that story, create a cover using free images or your own image, and accept a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing. It’s simple and it’s fast. Every Kindle Worlds story will be featured on Amazon.com and Kindle devices and apps. Kindle Worlds is a creative community where Worlds grow with each new story. It is a place to be creative and to be inspired by other people’s creativity. You can build on any story or idea you find in a World, engage an audience of readers, and earn royalties from every copy sold.
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Links relevant to Saturday Show Podcast #33:Fatterday!

Fringe
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Music provided by radiotimes via ccmixter.org, and melodysheep via YouTube, featuring the prophets Bill Hicks and George Carlin.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes24:562699119Saturday Show #32: Mark Twain v. Teddy Roosevelthttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2663
Sat, 17 Aug 2013 18:47:16 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2663In episode 32 of Saturday Show, Frank discusses the feud between Mark Twain and Teddy Roosevelt over the Spanish-American War and the subsequent “Filipino Insurrection.” This information comes from Dan Carlin’s best-of-all-time podcast, “Hardcore History,” and the episode entitled “The […]In episode 32 of Saturday Show, Frank discusses the feud between Mark Twain and Teddy Roosevelt over the Spanish-American War and the subsequent “Filipino Insurrection.” This information comes from Dan Carlin’s best-of-all-time podcast,
Literary fiction techniques discussed include the intensity and accuracy of details (especially when pulled from one’s own experiences), proper context and atmosphere for your stories, manipulation of time in fiction, perception of reality, the novelty of trick endings, gratitude for all aspects of your life as expressed through fiction, and other illuminating and poignant subjects.
The player above uses Flash. Here is the link to the show on iTunes.com
Links from topics mentioned in the show include the following:Hardcore History

– Read more.
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Text of “The War Prayer” by Mark Twain:
It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing,]]>Frank Marcopolosyes37:352663120Saturday Show #31: On Vladimir Nabokovhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2643
Sat, 10 Aug 2013 09:00:51 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2643In episode 31 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses the untimely demise of elance.com as a viable marketplace to find freelance workers of all kinds. Frank presents a clear and concise argument which leads one to conclude that this company […]In episode 31 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses the untimely demise of elance.com as a viable marketplace to find freelance workers of all kinds. Frank presents a clear and concise argument which leads one to conclude that this company […]
The flash player is above, and here is a link to the show on iTunes. Leave me a review. Why not?
Subtitle: The Austin Writing Group #18. Show Notes:Vladimir Nabokov

The Talkative Corpse by Ann Sterzinger
The group assigned the short story “Symbols and Signs” by Vlady Nabokov [The New Yorker, 1948] a quality value of 6.5 out of 10 on the “Marco Scale.”
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Intro provided by the lovely and talented Melissa Craig. Music provided by radiotimes of ccmixter.org.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes40:532643121Saturday Show #30: Guernica, Bill Hicks, and Random Bar Patronshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2590
Sat, 03 Aug 2013 19:11:20 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2590In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast, we discuss the supreme importance of having a reading chair, the need for raising awareness about putting an END to the horrible practice of creating “honk signs,” and other important societal matters. The […]In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast, we discuss the supreme importance of having a reading chair, the need for raising awareness about putting an END to the horrible practice of creating “honk signs,” and other important societal matters. The […]
The audio player above uses Flash. Here is the link to the show on iTunes.com.
Show Notes:#Austin Writer Michael Ward

Steven Spielberg Predicts Implosion of Movie Bidnez
*
Voice-work provided by the ever-sexy Aussie lass, erotica author Melissa Craig. Music provided by radiotimes via ccmixter.org.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:05:292590122Saturday Show #29 – Interview with Author Ann Sterzinger (Improve Fish Education Now!)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2570
Sun, 21 Jul 2013 03:49:53 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2570In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast Frank talks to Chicago author Ann Sterzinger. Ann’s latest novel is entitled THE TALKATIVE CORPSE, and is available as an e-book from Amazon.com. WARNING: Much hilarity ensues during this interview, so if you […]In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast Frank talks to Chicago author Ann Sterzinger. Ann’s latest novel is entitled THE TALKATIVE CORPSE, and is available as an e-book from Amazon.com. WARNING: Much hilarity ensues during this interview, so if you […]In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast Frank talks to Chicago author Ann Sterzinger. Ann’s latest novel is entitled THE TALKATIVE CORPSE, and is available as an e-book from Amazon.com. WARNING: Much hilarity ensues during this interview, so if you are a dour person who hates to laugh, please do not listen.
The audio player above uses Flash. Here is the link to the show on iTunes.com.
Saturday Show #29 (Interview with Ann Sterzinger) Show Notes and Relevant Links:[the big click]. On first glance, I love the feel of the artwork on the site.

Space March
Music provided by radiotimes of ccmixter.org. Remember: Improving fish education in this country should be our #1 priority. The fish are our future!]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:05:592570123Saturday Show #28: More Ernest Hemingway & the White-Hot MFA Debatehttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2564
Sat, 13 Jul 2013 11:12:28 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2564In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses the true value of obtaining an Masters in Fine Arts degree, the enduring influence of MFA-less Ernest Hemingway, and much, much more. As always, literary fiction techniques are discussed as well. […]In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses the true value of obtaining an Masters in Fine Arts degree, the enduring influence of MFA-less Ernest Hemingway, and much, much more. As always, literary fiction techniques are discussed as well...Here is the link to the show on iTunes.com.
Saturday Show #28. Relevant Links and Show Notes:Is an MFA Really Worth It?

Ask the Writing Teacher – TheMillions.com]]>Frank Marcopolosyes26:032564124Saturday Show #27: Interview with Anarchist Amanda Billyrock Johnsonhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2529
Sat, 06 Jul 2013 10:09:10 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2529In episode 27 of Saturday Show, Frank interviews anarchist writer and video blogger Amanda Billyrock. They discuss the difference between ideas and beliefs, Amanda’s reading habits, the true meaning of “anarchy,” Amanda’s vision for a better world, and much, much […]In episode 27 of Saturday Show, Frank interviews anarchist writer and video blogger Amanda Billyrock. They discuss the difference between ideas and beliefs, Amanda’s reading habits, the true meaning of “anarchy,” Amanda’s vision for a better world,
Listen to the interview via the audio player above, which runs on Flash. (So, check your Flash settings if you don’t see the player.) Also, here is the link to the show on iTunes.com.
Amanda describes herself thusly:
Hi, I’m Amanda.
I’m in my mid-twenties. I owe my intellectual awakening to Ron Paul and his tireless dedication to the cause of freedom. I get pretty fired up about philosophy, Austrian economics, and awesome humans (which you will see in my videos).
Visit her at AmandaBillyrock.com
Show Notes:
This show was recorded on Skype via MP3 Recorder, so I’m on the Left channel, and Amanda is on the Right channel.Marantz

Obama Slow-Jams the News]]>Frank Marcopolosyes49:452529125Saturday Show #26: On Ernest Hemingwayhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2513
Sat, 29 Jun 2013 16:33:51 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2513In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank explores the following topics and so much MORE: How do you create a bond with your reader? How do you hook a reader into your story? What are the differences between genre […]In this episode of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank explores the following topics and so much MORE: How do you create a bond with your reader? How do you hook a reader into your story? What are the differences between genre […]
At what point do you know it’s time to quit writing and move on to something more productive? How do you deal with the soul-crushing reality of frequent rejections?
What are the effects of sleeping on the floor for one week?
And what point is it all nada y pues nada y pues nada y mas nada?
NOTE: The audio player above uses Flash. Here is the link to the show on iTunes.com.
*“Fat” by Raymond Carver

…when i’m feeling stuck and need a buck i don’t rely on luck because…]]>Frank Marcopolosyes36:112513126Saturday Show #25: Literary Dialogue with Austin Writer Michael Wardhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2493
Sat, 22 Jun 2013 23:26:11 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2493MARATHON SESSION! OVER 1 HOUR OF PODCASTING GOODNESS! Saturday Show #25 (With Special Guest Michael Ward). The audio player above uses Flash to run. However, if you need it, here is the link to the show on iTunes.com. Relevant Links […]MARATHON SESSION! OVER 1 HOUR OF PODCASTING GOODNESS! Saturday Show #25 (With Special Guest Michael Ward). The audio player above uses Flash to run. However, if you need it, here is the link to the show on iTunes.com. Relevant Links […]here is the link to the show on iTunes.com.
Relevant Links and Show Notes:Bulletproof Coffee

~ Understanding the specific BIAS of a critiquer to get the most from the critique

~ “Going to the Dogs” by Richard Ford

~ Organic theme

~ Building a character + Details (can) = Realistic Story

~ The best literary themes can not be articulated in 1 sentence

~ The best stories LEAVE you with a feeling of wanting to go do something artistic, or whatever you’re passionate about]]>Frank Marcopolosyes24:002446129Saturday Show #22: Pan’s Labyrinth, Robert Coover, and Hunter S. Thompsonhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2435
Sat, 01 Jun 2013 14:50:16 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2435Saturday Show #22, The Austin Writing Group Podcast Episode 11. Relevant Links and Various Show Notes: Robert Coover Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Pan’s Labyrinth The Talkative Corpse by Ann K. Sterzinger Almost Home by Frank Marcopolos The Domain, […]Saturday Show #22, The Austin Writing Group Podcast Episode 11. Relevant Links and Various Show Notes: Robert Coover Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Pan’s Labyrinth The Talkative Corpse by Ann K. Sterzinger Almost Home by Frank Marcopolos The Domain, […]Robert Coover

Unguided Tour by Susan Sontag]]>Frank Marcopolosyes27:502401134Saturday Show #17: Sophia Coppola and Dwight Swainhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2395
Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:04:35 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2395The swashbuckling techniques of the modern literary fictioneer. With jokes. Saturday Show #17-The Austin Writing Group, Episode 6. Some of the topics discussed: – The relative weight of scenes vs. “pacing” and different terminology used by different schools of writing. […]The swashbuckling techniques of the modern literary fictioneer. With jokes. Saturday Show #17-The Austin Writing Group, Episode 6. Some of the topics discussed: – The relative weight of scenes vs. “pacing” and different terminology used by different sc...
– The relative weight of scenes vs. “pacing” and different terminology used by different schools of writing.

– Depth of theme, setting, and characters in the movie “Lost in Translation,” written and directed by Sofia Coppola.

– Noir]]>Frank Marcopolosyes15:162389136Saturday Show #15: Ayn Rand, Bobbie Ann Mason, and John Cheeverhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2386
Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:04:07 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2386In episode 15 of Saturday Show, Frank covers why Jonathan Safran Foer is a “Face-ist” and a bunny rabbit murderer, traditional literary fiction versus commercial fiction, theme of the movie “As Good As It Gets” starring Helen Hunt and Jack […]In episode 15 of Saturday Show, Frank covers why Jonathan Safran Foer is a “Face-ist” and a bunny rabbit murderer, traditional literary fiction versus commercial fiction, theme of the movie “As Good As It Gets” starring Helen Hunt and Jack […]]]>Frank Marcopolosyes34:362386137Saturday Show #14: Kurt Vonnegut and Raymond Carverhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2379
Sat, 30 Mar 2013 14:40:40 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2379Saturday Show Podcast #14 Topics: – Theme and message in stories, including “The Bath” and “A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver and the movie “Sideways.” – The evolution of Raymond Carver’s writing style, as evidenced by the differences in […]Saturday Show Podcast #14 Topics: – Theme and message in stories, including “The Bath” and “A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver and the movie “Sideways.” – The evolution of Raymond Carver’s writing style, as evidenced by the differences in […]
– Theme and message in stories, including “The Bath” and “A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver and the movie “Sideways.”

– The evolution of Raymond Carver’s writing style, as evidenced by the differences in the 2 stories mentioned above.

– Vonnegut-esque character descriptions.

– The effect on the reader of imitating Hemingway’s style, to the point of harming your narrative flow and structure.

– The Dirty Realism school of writing.

– The redemption/metamorphasis of the character Miles in “Sideways” and how that contrasts to the lack of change in Jack.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes19:502379138Saturday Show #13.5: A Little Richard Ford Audiohttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2363
Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:38:11 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2363From “Rock Springs” … “Sometime late in the night, after Edna was asleep, I got up and walked outside into the parking lot. It could’ve been anytime because there was still the light from the interstate frosting the low sky […]From “Rock Springs” … “Sometime late in the night, after Edna was asleep, I got up and walked outside into the parking lot. It could’ve been anytime because there was still the light from the interstate frosting the low sky […]
“Sometime late in the night, after Edna was asleep, I got up and walked outside into the parking lot. It could’ve been anytime because there was still the light from the interstate frosting the low sky and the big red Ramada sign humming motionlessly in the night and no light at all in the east to indicate it might be morning. The lot was full of cars all nosed in, a couple of them with suitcases strapped to their roofs and their trunks weighed down with belongings the people were taking someplace, to a new home or a vacation resort to the mountains. I had laid in bed a long time after Edna was asleep, watching the Atlanta Braves on television, trying to get my mind off how I’d feel when I turned around and there stood Cheryl and Little Duke and no one to see about them but me alone, and that the first thing I had to do was get hold of some automobile and get the plates switched, then get them some breakfast and get us all on the road to Florida, all in the space of probably two hours, since that Mercedes would certainly look less hid in the daytime than the night, and word travels fast. I’ve always taken care of Cheryl myself as long as I’ve had her with me. None of the women ever did. Most of them didn’t even seem to like her, though they took care of me in a way so that I could take care of her. And I knew that once Edna left, all that was going to get harder. Though what I wanted most to do was not think about it just for a little while, try to let my mind go limp so it could be strong for the rest of what there was. I thought that the difference between a successful life and an unsuccessful one, between me at that moment and all the people who owned the cars that were nosed into their proper places in the lot, maybe between me and that woman out in the trailers by the gold mine,was how well you were able to put things like this out out of your mind and not be bothered by them, and maybe, too, by how many troubles like this one you had to face in a lifetime. Through luck or design they had all faced fewer troubles, and by their own characters, they forgot them faster. And that’s what I wanted for me. Fewer troubles, fewer memories of trouble.
I walked over to a car, a Pontiac with Ohio tags, one of the ones with bundles and suitcases strapped to the top and a lot more in the trunk, by the way it was riding. I looked inside the driver’s window. There were maps and paperback books and sunglasses and the little plastic holders for cans that hang on the window wells. And in the back there were kids’ toys and some pillows and a cat box with a cat sitting in it staring up at me like I was the face of the moon. It all looked familiar to me, the very same things I would have in my car if I had a car. Nothing seemed surprising, nothing different. Though I had a funny sensation at that moment and turned and looked up at the windows along the back of the motel. All were dark except two. Mine and another one. And I wondered, because it seemed funny, what would you think a man was doing if you saw him in the middle of the night looking in the windows of cars in the parking lot of the Ramada Inn? Would you think he was trying to get his head cleared? Would you think he was trying to get ready for a day when trouble would come down on him? Would you think his girlfriend was leaving him? Would you think he had a daughter? Would you think he was anybody like you?”]]>Frank Marcopolosyes3:262363139Saturday Show #13: Austin Writing Workshophttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2358
Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:59:53 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2358Saturday Show Podcast #13: Featuring an appearance by the ghost of writing groups past! (In a flow-y dress, no less.) More notes to come, when my brain is fully functioning. For now, please enjoy the audio.Saturday Show Podcast #13: Featuring an appearance by the ghost of writing groups past! (In a flow-y dress, no less.) More notes to come, when my brain is fully functioning. For now, please enjoy the audio.Saturday Show Podcast #13: Featuring an appearance by the ghost of writing groups past! (In a flow-y dress, no less.)
More notes to come, when my brain is fully functioning. For now, please enjoy the audio.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes20:312358140Saturday Show #12: Raymond Carver, John Barth, John Cheever, John Updike, and Joyce Carol Oateshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2339
Sat, 16 Mar 2013 03:39:43 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2339Listen to a discussion about my writing critique group. Are you in a writing group? Has it been beneficial for you? Why or why not? Points made in the writing group as I discuss in the podcast: – In literary […]Listen to a discussion about my writing critique group. Are you in a writing group? Has it been beneficial for you? Why or why not? Points made in the writing group as I discuss in the podcast: – In literary […]Listen to a discussion about my writing critique group. Are you in a writing group? Has it been beneficial for you? Why or why not?
Points made in the writing group as I discuss in the podcast:
– In literary fiction, theme is NOT message. A message is: “Be nice to people; it comes back around.” A theme is: “Overcoming grief.”

– Academics believe literary fiction is about questions, not answers. That, at least, there should be a polyphony of voices/ideas in a literary story, all vying for the reader’s attention and affection.

– Every detail chosen to be illustrated in a story should be an extension of its theme.

– Personally, I agree more with W. Somerset Maugham who said: “I want a story to have form, and I don’t see how you can give it that unless you can bring it to a conclusion that leaves no legitimate room for questioning. But even if you could bring yourself to leave the reader up in the air, you don’t want to leave yourself up in the air with him.” This goes against what most literary academics believe a literary story should do.
*
Characteristics of literary fiction:
– Complex, literate, multi-level. Wrestles with universal dilemmas, such as “The nature of reality.”

– Has Character, Plot, Style, Tone, and Pace as its vehicles.

– Inner plot is often more important than outer plot.

– The pace is often slow, and can dawdle longer on small details.

– The style is often elegant, lyrical, and layered.

– The tone is often more serious, darker than other forms of fiction.

– Can be found in classic literature, often uses “dry realism,” and in the post-modern era often features experiments with narrative and structure and meta-fiction. An example of such an experiment is “In media res.”
Often-cited examples of great literary writers: Richard Ford, Raymond Carver, John Cheever, Vladimir Nabokov, John Barth, Joyce Carol Oates, John Updike.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes18:562339141Saturday Show #11: Chapter 1 of ALMOST HOME by Frank Marcopoloshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2329
Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:28:59 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2329As part of a clever, clever marketing ploy to tease you into wanting to buy ALMOST HOME, I’ve provided an audio version of the first chapter above. I am so dang clever it hurts. It hurts every part of my […]As part of a clever, clever marketing ploy to tease you into wanting to buy ALMOST HOME, I’ve provided an audio version of the first chapter above. I am so dang clever it hurts. It hurts every part of my […]As part of a clever, clever marketing ploy to tease you into wanting to buy ALMOST HOME, I’ve provided an audio version of the first chapter above. I am so dang clever it hurts. It hurts every part of my body. TMI, I know.
***
What’s the theme of ALMOST HOME? Why should I care about it?
ALMOST HOME does an audacious thing. It takes you on a thrill-ride of a story in order to highjack your emotions. It does this so that you may feel like the main character, may go on this thrill-ride with/as him. And the goal is that by the end of the story you’ve come to realize (through the vicarious adventure) something new, exciting, and life-changing.
Well, I told you it was audacious. And whether or not the novel meets this ambitious, audacious goal is entirely up to you.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes23:532329142Saturday Show #10 (“American Scream: The BILL HICKS Story” by Cynthia True and an Excerpt from “A Widow for One Year” by John Irving)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2279
Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:45:14 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2279As a tribute to the massive gravity of the loss of the prophet Bill Hicks, I’ve posted an excerpt from “A Widow for One Year” by John Irving in the little audio player above. “American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story” […]As a tribute to the massive gravity of the loss of the prophet Bill Hicks, I’ve posted an excerpt from “A Widow for One Year” by John Irving in the little audio player above. “American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story” […]
“American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story” by Cynthia True. This one of my favorite parts of the book, just because of the light it sheds on how much Bill was suffering toward the end, which he tended NOT to acknowledge. Bill was a warrior and a prophet, in my less-than-humble opinion:
“There was no time to idle. ‘We’re fighting an art war,’ Bill said solemnly as he leaned across the table. His eyes seemed to turn darker and the look on his face was so intense that [Stephen] Doster almost expected him to rise up off his chair.
‘And he said to me, “I do what I do so people won’t feel alone.” But there was none of this kind of self-important ‘I’ve got to save the world’ type of thing with him. He was more like the little soldier fighting the good fight.’
As they walked out to the parking lot, Bill grabbed his side.
‘You better have that checked out,’ Stephen said.
‘Oh, I have. I’m just fine,’ Bill replied.
When Stephen got home, he tried to explain about the lunch to his wife, Melinda.
‘I don’t know where Bill can go from here,’ he said.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked.
Stephen couldn’t explain it.”
*
Buy AMERICAN SCREAM from Amazon here: American Scream by C. True
Buy LOVE ALL THE PEOPLE, THE ESSENTIAL BILL HICKS from Amazon here: Love ALL The People
*
“I left in love, in laughter, and in truth and wherever truth, love, and laughter abide, I am there in spirit.”
– Bill Hicks
December 16, 1961 – February﻿ 26,﻿ 1994]]>Frank Marcopolosyes3:052279143Saturday Show #9: The Moment of Victory by O. Henryhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2259
Wed, 21 Nov 2012 22:07:58 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2259AMBITION. Where does it begin and where does it end? Have you ever had an experience that fueled your ambition for years to come? What was it and how did it end up? These themes and MORE in “The Moment […]AMBITION. Where does it begin and where does it end? Have you ever had an experience that fueled your ambition for years to come? What was it and how did it end up? These themes and MORE in “The Moment […]
These themes and MORE in “The Moment of Victory,” a short story written by O. Henry and performed by Frank Marcopolos. Listen by clicking Play on the player above.
From Wikipedia:
William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry’s short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.
William Sidney Porter was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He changed the spelling of his middle name to Sydney in 1898. His parents were Dr. Algernon Sidney Porter (1825–88), a physician, and Mary Jane Virginia Swaim Porter (1833–65). They were married on April 20, 1858. When William was three, his mother died from tuberculosis, and he and his father moved into the home of his paternal grandmother. As a child, Porter was always reading, everything from classics to dime novels; his favorite works were Lane’s translation of One Thousand and One Nights, and Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy.
Porter graduated from his aunt Evelina Maria Porter’s elementary school in 1876. He then enrolled at the Lindsey Street High School. His aunt continued to tutor him until he was fifteen. In 1879, he started working in his uncle’s drugstore and in 1881, at the age of nineteen, he was licensed as a pharmacist. At the drugstore, he also showed off his natural artistic talents by sketching the townsfolk.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes25:312259144Saturday Show #8: How J.D. Salinger Ruined My Dating Lifehttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2180
Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:41:25 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2180In episode 8 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses how his love of the stories written by J.D. Salinger can be a hindrance upon his dating life. Especially after a couple of g(G?)lasses of wine. The player above uses Flash. […]In episode 8 of Saturday Show Podcast, Frank discusses how his love of the stories written by J.D. Salinger can be a hindrance upon his dating life. Especially after a couple of g(G?)lasses of wine. The player above uses Flash. […]
The player above uses Flash. Here is the link to the show on iTunes.
*
Music provided by Hoto of ccmixter.org.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes26:302180145Saturday Show #7: The Church with an Overshot Wheel by O. Henryhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2170
Mon, 06 Aug 2012 17:59:46 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2170Who was O. Henry? William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry’s short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist […]Who was O. Henry? William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry’s short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist […]Who was O. Henry? William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry’s short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings. Listen to THE CHURCH WITH THE OVERSHOT WHEEL, written by O. Henry, and performed by Frank Marcopolos.
Click PLAY above.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes26:552170146Saturday Show #6: Texas vs. New York (+ Secret Salinger)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2129
Sun, 01 Jul 2012 01:49:39 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2129Frank moves to Austin, Texas from South Brooklyn, New York. He takes YOU along for the ride on the road known as America. Listen in to this road trip adventure! (OK, so maybe it’s less of an adventure than a […]Frank moves to Austin, Texas from South Brooklyn, New York. He takes YOU along for the ride on the road known as America. Listen in to this road trip adventure! (OK, so maybe it’s less of an adventure than a […]]]>Frank Marcopolosyes28:432129147Saturday Show #5: Joseph Conrad, The Informer, and Secret Societieshttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2122
Sun, 10 Jun 2012 01:57:59 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2122What can we learn about secret societies from the works of Joseph Conrad? Tune in to Saturday Show #5 to find out! SHOW NOTES: Joseph Conrad Wikipedia Page FreemasonsWhat can we learn about secret societies from the works of Joseph Conrad? Tune in to Saturday Show #5 to find out! SHOW NOTES: Joseph Conrad Wikipedia Page FreemasonsWhat can we learn about secret societies from the works of Joseph Conrad? Tune in to Saturday Show #5 to find out!
SHOW NOTES:Joseph Conrad Wikipedia Page

Freemasons]]>Frank Marcopolosyes1:02:222122148Saturday Show #4: Random Thoughts from the American Roadhttp://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2111
Tue, 29 May 2012 18:45:14 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2111Show Notes: Music: “Waiting Forever” by Bill Hicks. When you purchase The Essential Collection (Amazon Affiliate Link), you get a code which allows you to download this song and 10 others from billhicks.com.Show Notes: Music: “Waiting Forever” by Bill Hicks. When you purchase The Essential Collection (Amazon Affiliate Link), you get a code which allows you to download this song and 10 others from billhicks.com.
Music: “Waiting Forever” by Bill Hicks. When you purchase The Essential Collection (Amazon Affiliate Link), you get a code which allows you to download this song and 10 others from billhicks.com.]]>Frank Marcopolosyes22:582111149Saturday Show #3: Is the Indie Publishing Revolution Coming to an End?http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2105
Sun, 20 May 2012 01:19:54 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2105SHOW NOTES: The Great Konrath ALMOST HOME THE WHIRLIGIGSHOW NOTES: The Great Konrath ALMOST HOME THE WHIRLIGIGSHOW NOTES:The Great KonrathALMOST HOMETHE WHIRLIGIG]]>Frank Marcopolosyes30:512105150Saturday Show #2: Fifty Shades of Shady? (+ Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad)http://frankmarcopolos.com/archives/2074
Sun, 29 Apr 2012 01:49:52 +0000http://frankmarcopolos.com/?p=2074On this edition of Saturday Show, I discuss the runaway phenomenon of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, Joseph Conrad (HEART OF DARKNESS), and other moving literary topics. SHOW NOTES/LINKS: http://thesuburbanjungle.com http://dearauthor.com 50 Shades of Grey on Amazon.com Joseph_ConradOn this edition of Saturday Show, I discuss the runaway phenomenon of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, Joseph Conrad (HEART OF DARKNESS), and other moving literary topics. SHOW NOTES/LINKS: http://thesuburbanjungle.com http://dearauthor.
SHOW NOTES/LINKS:http://thesuburbanjungle.com